Tyler's Search
by Polarissb
Summary: Tyler isn't ready to be alone—not that the Catchers care. After they take his family away in their balls, going after them seems like the only choice the eevee has left—never mind that Johto is a big place. Or that he's scared of evolving. Or that everyone knows pokemon taken by Catchers don't come back. He has to at least try—that's what family does.
1. Prologue: A Day Like Any Other

_For those of you wondering whether a 40+ chapter story is worth your time:_ This story is written from the point of view and experiences of a wild pokemon. If you enjoyed the Warriors series, this is similar (but not steeped in tradition like the clans). If you want to read about how using Quick Attack looks and feels to the pokemon using it, or what goes on in pokeballs, you've come to the right place. If you like stories that take a familiar setting from a different perspective, this is the story for you. If you're looking for shipping and OT fics, it may not be (note that I'm not saying romance is off-limits, but...you'll see). This is a tale of loss and determination, fear and hope, and accepting limitations while finding ways to press forward anyway. If that sounds good to you, welcome to _Tyler's Search!_ You've got quite the adventure ahead of you.

\- Polarissb

P.S. If you've got questions, you can find a link to my forum on my profile, which has an FAQ about the story. Or if you have a question about something specific, you're welcome to ask me directly in a review or PM. If I can answer it without spoiling the story, I will.

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _Eighteen months ago, the trainer Red, a young man from Pallet Town in Kanto, came out of nowhere and brought down the gang known as Team Rocket. His meteoric rise took him to the championship of the Kanto League and beyond. Now an elite trainer and Pokemon Master, Red crossed the mountains to the neighboring region of Johto._

 _The remnants of Team Rocket have gone legitimate, and peace has returned. Professor Elm of the Johto region has just agreed to sponsor a few new trainers. Ray is a young boy, but one day he and Chikorita are going to be just like Red and his Charizard._

 _Before you get any ideas, I should make one thing clear: This story isn't about Ray, or Professor Elm, or even the legendary Red. They're only pieces, a part of the world Tyler lives in. Tyler's home is deep in the forest, a place where trainers rarely venture. Life is a simple, day-to-day process of finding food and water, keeping a few things in order, and taking the time to really experience the world. One of the earliest risers in their area is his father, a flareon, who traces a watchful circle each morning through the predawn stillness around the den where Tyler and his four siblings are growing up._

 _It is a morning like any other; the light of the rising sun casts slants of light and darkness across the forest floor. One particular sunbeam is creeping closer and closer…_

Tyler came awake, blinking as sunlight slanted through the mouth of the den into his eyes. The eevee yawned, lifting a paw to shield himself from the brightness, then rolled onto his back and stretched, paws reaching forward and back to the limits of his small body. It was another warm, late-spring day; the leaves had grown to block out most of the sun with only a few spots breaking through here and there, like the one in his eyes.

Tyler's movement woke his brothers and sisters, and the den filled with small stirring noises as four other balls of brown-and-and cream fur uncurled for the new day. Mother lay near the entrance, already awake and watching them. She was stretched out in the sun, light playing across her green-tinted fur – she and Father both loved warm sunlight, and between them they were happier for spring than any other pokémon in their part of the forest. His sister Sasha had asked once how Mother and Father got along, since Mother was grass type and the Father was a fire pokémon, and she had smiled and told them that their element didn't matter so much. "We take care of each other – and you," Mother had added, tickling Sasha's nose with a paw. "We don't fight."

Family was important to Eons. When Tyler and his siblings evolved, they could be a lot of different things – Father knew about eight kinds of Eons, and he said maybe there were more. They were lucky, Father had told them. Most species didn't get that kind of a choice, but Eons could be anything. Mother and Father both taught them, though, that whatever they looked like, they would always be family. Father told them that being different would let them take care of each other and keep each other safe – especially from Catchers. Everyone was excited for the day they'd evolve, except for Tyler. Skylar, his littermate, had wanted to be a jolteon for as long as Tyler could remember. He was already begging Father to help him find a thunderstone, but Father said they weren't old enough yet. Carson and Kara were older. His oldest brother would probably be a flareon, or maybe a glaceon – but probably flareon, like Father. He wasn't sure about Kara; she was usually pretty quiet. Maybe that meant umbreon or espeon. Sasha seemed the most excited of anyone except Skylar, but when they asked her what she wanted to evolve into she always smiled, shook her head and told them they'd find out. Usually she couldn't keep anything to herself, so they kept asking, but she hadn't told anyone yet. Mother and Father probably knew.

Tyler still wasn't sure about himself. There were a lot of choices, and he sometimes worried about picking the wrong one. He wasn't fast like Skylar or strong like Carson; there wasn't anything to tell him what to choose. Mother kept telling him not to worry, that it was still months before he'd be old enough to evolve and he could take his time.

A tail swished across Tyler's face, distracting him. "I'm hungry!" Skylar announced. At his brother's words, Tyler's stomach rumbled, reminding him that he was too. Almost on cue, Father appeared in the entrance, blocking out the light for a moment. The flareon had a spray of berries of different kinds in his mouth from Mother's bushes, and the five young eevee piled happily over to eat.

As usual, Skylar finished first. Tyler snickered a little as Mother stopped his brother to wash his face, and then guiltily wiped at his own whiskers, realizing he had gotten berry juice on himself too. _Not as much as Skylar did, though_.

After that, they all ran down to the stream to drink with Father trailing behind them. The trail was well-worn and led down to a sandbar that sloped into the water. Several pidgey, rattata, and a furret were already there, so they had to find open spots along the stream's edge to lap at the clear water. Tyler heard Father's chuckle as they scampered around, wrestling to get at the first spaces they saw. He found an open spot next to a rattata that was turning back to the trees. They quickly drank their fill and dashed back to the clearing to play, panting when they arrived. Father kept looking around, probably waiting for Mother to come back so they could start training. _I don't mind if she takes a while_ , Tyler thought.

Eventually, though, Mother did come back and it was time to start training. They all looked at Father; he always took charge of training – Mother didn't like to fight much, but she agreed that Tyler and his siblings needed to learn to take care of themselves and each other. They trained every few days in a patch of grass in the clearing that was by now trampled flat; Father would have them practice tackles, rolls, and other moves, sometimes on their own or sometimes against him or Mother. Mother always insisted that they shouldn't practice against each other.

Tyler knew he probably couldn't ever get the better of either of his parents. He and his siblings weren't strong enough, but Mother and Father never used their powers against them. The worst Father ever did was knock Tyler over and send him rolling over a few times across the grass, telling him afterward to keep his balance low when he got close. After almost a year of training, Tyler could tell that he was a lot better – he didn't get hit nearly as much now.

Today, Father put them in pairs. Tyler was placed with Skylar; he shared a conspiratorial look with his brother, who was smiling too. Mother picked Sasha and Kara, and Father started explaining what they were supposed to do. "Right now, we'll have you work together, trying to take us down. Remember what I taught you about balance. I'm bigger and stronger than you are, so you have to be smart. One of you has to get me off balance, or you'll never be able to move me."

"I can knock Mother over," Skylar retorted impudently. Tyler shook his head. _I'm not sure any of us could_.

Echoing his thoughts, Father said, "No, you can't. Not if she doesn't want you to." Tyler threw a glance at Mother and saw her smile. "Now come on."

They all backed apart, getting ready. Tyler wanted to take a moment to watch Father's movements, but Skylar went hurtling toward Father without so much as glancing at Tyler to see what he would do. Tyler leaped up and followed his brother, shaking his head a little. Sometimes it was almost like they could read each other's minds. Other times… He ran after the faster eevee, trying to judge where he would hit. Skylar plowed into Father's shoulder a full speed, but the flareon braced at the last moment, stopping his son as if he had hit a wall. A few steps behind, Tyler changed angles to try to hit Father's hindquarters, but it was too late. Father spun to the side, reaching out and cuffing Tyler with a paw as he passed by. Already off-balance from trying to change direction, Tyler lost his footing and hit the ground, rolling over. By the time he managed to look back, Skylar was down too.

As the two brothers picked themselves up off the ground, Father remonstrated them, but Tyler could tell he was close to laughing. "You'll have to work together better than that! Come on, try again."

They retreated back to the other side of the patch of grass. Before they started, Tyler turned to look at his brother and got a nod in return. It was his turn to take the lead. Tyler waited a heartbeat longer, deciding what to do, then charged. Skylar followed close behind, but he didn't try to pass his brother. Tyler aimed for Father's shoulder like Skylar had, but when Father braced for the hit he dropped and switched targets, swerving under Father's paw to knock his other forepaw out from under him. Skylar accelerated to a sprint, cannoning into Father at the same moment. The flareon fell, nearly flattening Tyler, who had to drop flat to avoid a flailing paw. Father rolled away, eyes shining with pride. "That was much better. You know, one day everyone's going to have to watch out for you two." The brothers shared a triumphant grin.

He heard a scuffling noise behind him and turned to see Mother on the ground with Kara and Sasha. The leafeon had playfully pinned her daughters to the ground, laying on top of them while they wailed for help. Tyler couldn't help but giggle at the sight. Father padded over, smiling as well. "Well, this looks serious." Mother let Tyler's sisters get up, and they all started again.

Father switched what they were doing every once in a while; sometimes they would be alone, sometimes two or three together. Sometimes Tyler would be attacking Father or Mother, and other times they would all have to work together and dodge their parents' attacks. When the sun started sliding back down, they all stopped and flopped down to rest in the shade, except for Mother, who lay in the sun with her leaves spread out to soak in the light. Now that they weren't running around, conversation started up again.

"Father, did you see me?" Sasha asked. "Mother tried to get me, but I got away from her. I'm fast!"

"Not as fast as me," said Skylar. "I'm gonna be a jolteon!"

"One day, when you're ready," replied Father.

Carson broke into the conversation. "You always say 'when we're ready.' How do we know when we're ready?"

"For most young eevee, it's when you're about two years old. That's not too far away now," Mother explained. "As for how you'll know when that is, you'll be able to feel it."

"What does it feel like?" Now they all wanted to hear.

It was Father who responded. "It's kind of hard to explain, but you can feel something building up inside of you. Eventually, you start to feel… almost like you'll burst out of your skin. Yes, that's it." He looked rather pleased. "That's when you're ready to change."

"That sounds like it hurts!" exclaimed Sasha apprehensively.

"Don't worry," replied Mother. "It can be kind of uncomfortable, but it doesn't hurt." _That's good,_ Tyler thought.

"What does it feel like when you evolve?"

"It's an experience you'll never forget, as long as you live," said Father.

Mother added, "Everything you felt building up inside suddenly comes bursting out. It runs all through you, and when it stops, you're different." They were all silent for a few moments as Tyler and his siblings tried to imagine what it would feel like.

"What is it like, suddenly being different?" Carson asked after a minute.

"Well…" Mother began, "it's strange at first, but it's not like you aren't _you_ anymore. It seems more like…"

"Like part of you woke up that you never knew was there," Father finished.

"Yes," said Mother. "That's it."

They lay in silence for another minute, then Tyler asked, "How did you and Father know what you wanted to evolve into?"

Mother gave him a knowing look, but there was concern mixed into her green eyes. Then she turned her head to address everyone. "Well," she began, "I always loved plants, even from a very young age. As soon as I felt the time coming, I knew where I needed to go – to one of the moss stones."

"For me," Father added, "it was a bit different. I wanted to be strong and be ready to protect my family and friends. I wanted to be able to keep enemies away."

"And what will we do when we're ready?" asked Kara.

"One of us will take you to find the right place. We'll be there with you," said Father.

"One of you? Won't we all go?" asked Carson.

"No. It's a special time in your life, and we go alone. Whichever of us, your mother or I, goes, the other will stay to protect the family."

"A special trip? Just two of us?" exclaimed Sasha, eyes shining. "I want to go with Mother!"

"That's how it usually works," Mother replied with a smile. "Father will take your brothers, and I'll be the one to take you and Kara."

For once, Sasha had nothing to say, though her eyes shone with happiness. _Maybe that won't be so bad,_ Tyler thought to himself. Whatever might happen, he felt safe with Father around.

After they ate, Tyler and his siblings played among the trees near their den, hiding, chasing, running, and pouncing on one another. Father disappeared for a few minutes. He did that a lot whenever some sound seemed off. Occasionally it was Catchers; he always came back worried when that happened, and then he and Mother would herd them back into their den or a nearby bush. Tyler had seen the Catchers once or twice when they came into view of their hiding places. Sometimes there would be pokémon walking alongside them – usually ones Tyler and his siblings didn't recognize. None of the Catchers had ever seen them.

When Father came back, though, he looked normal, relaxed. They listened while he announced that it had just been a few spearow getting in a fight over something. A moment later, Mother called Carson and Kara over. The five young eevee shared a puzzled look, and Tyler's older brother and sister went over to their parents, leaving the three younger eevee to play alone. Tyler looked over a few times; all four were sitting up, talking seriously. "What do you think they're talking about?" Tyler asked his brother and sister. None of them knew. After a moment, they shrugged it off and started chasing each other again until they got tired.

Carson and Kara came back by then, but they didn't seem interested in playing. Sasha asked what they'd been talking about. "Getting ready to evolve," Carson responded, but they refused to answer any other questions. Mother came over and reassured them that everything was all right, but Tyler still couldn't help wondering what his brother meant, so he brought the question up a few more times.

Finally Kara responded. "You don't have to worry. I think Mother and Father will tell you when you get a little older. We're just going to be doing some more training, that's all." Tyler realized that was all he was going to get. About then, Sasha announced that she was hungry. Tyler left his questions alone and joined in, running over to Mother with Skylar and Sasha. Mother got up and they headed for the stream; Carson and Kara got up and followed them too.

Once they'd all eaten, they went back to playing. Mother watched them, moving occasionally to stay in the sun as it got lower in the afternoon sky. Carson and Kara seemed back to their normal selves and joined in again. As evening started to set in, Father padded over to Mother before leaving to patrol around their den like he did every night. Tyler felt his ears droop a little, knowing what was coming next. Sure enough, Mother called them a moment later. "They day's almost over. It's time to get ready to sleep." They protested, begging to play a little longer, but it was no use, and they followed Mother back into the den.

Mother washed all of them like she did every night, starting with Sasha. When she got to him, Tyler tried to hold still while she pulled tangles out of his fur. The thick ruff of fur around his neck had gotten especially messy, like it always was on training days. Tyler fidgeted a little until she finally stopped and gave him a lick on the head, moving on to Kara. Tyler curled up next to Skylar and Sasha, but they didn't go to sleep yet. He kept watching, waiting for Father to get back. After a few more minutes, the flareon appeared. Mother was finished cleaning them by then; Tyler got up as Father came over and gave him an affectionate nuzzle before moving on to the others. "Everything's safe tonight. See you in the morning."

At this, it really was time to go to sleep. The sun was down and darkness was spreading across the sky. Tyler curled up with the rest of his siblings and looked over at his parents, who were laying together in front of the den. He could barely see them now, outlines in the darkness. Just when Tyler was about to go to sleep, Carson spoke up.

"You know, what we were talking about earlier today? About being ready?"

"Yes," Kara murmured from his other side.

"I think I'm starting to feel something. Just a little." That got Tyler's attention, and he came to full alertness again, wanting to hear what it felt like.

Father's voice came next. "When did it start?"

"It started a few days ago," Carson said. "I didn't know what it was."

"Well, it sounds like we'll be making a trip in a month or so," Father responded. "Now, sleep well." That was the end of the conversation. Tyler settled down to sleep again, curling his tail over his nose and letting out a small, sighing yawn. Their den was always warm at night; gentle heat rolled off of Father's body. He could feel the shapes of his brothers and sisters, curled into balls of brown and cream fur like he was. Mother and Father lay by the entrance, keeping them safe. The eevee finally drifted off to sleep, happy to be there with his family.

* * *

 _ _At the beginning of this story, Tyler is a year and a half old, as is his brother Skylar. Carson and Kara are nearly two, and Sasha is a few months younger._ If you want a little more insight into what Tyler's family is like, check out his mother's [much shorter] story, Captured. It begins on the same day._


	2. GO! (part I)

**Part I - Alone**

Tyler woke suddenly, confused. He twitched the tip of his tail away from his eyes to look sleepily around. It was still mostly dark outside; the sun wasn't up yet, but _something_ had woken him up. As his eyes adjusted he saw Mother standing rigid and tense in the entrance. He could tell just from looking that something was wrong. Whatever it was, she'd heard it too.

He flinched as a long hiss came from outside, and his heart suddenly sped up as he stared wide-eyed past Mother. Light was just starting to filter down to them. There still wasn't anything to see, but he was certain there was something out there. Fear crept over him, and Tyler realized this must be what it felt like to be hunted.

Off to one side, Sara stirred. "What's going–"

Mother cut her off with a harsh whisper. "Quiet. Don't make a sound." Tyler had never seen her like this. He glanced around and saw that they were all awake now, laying still and trying not to even breathe too loudly. Father was nowhere to be seen. _Maybe he already went outside to deal with… whatever that is._ But then why was Mother so worried? Father was stronger than any of them. He had to be stronger than… what? Catchers? Giant pokémon? Suddenly Tyler wasn't so sure. It could be anything outside.

As they watched and waited, a shadow appeared outside the den. Sasha gasped, and Mother whipped her head around at the sound. At the same time, the shadow paused. There was another hiss – much louder. Too close now. Tyler's heart skipped a beat, and it was all he could do to keep his breathing normal. Mother was shifting from paw to paw, her gaze locked on whatever was coming.

A head came into view. All Tyler could make out was a large, scaly shape and what looked like a giant pair of yellow eyes glaring at them from its shadow. He took a fearful step back, pressing himself against the ground and scarcely daring to breathe. Mother had gone stock-still as well. _It can see us, it can see us_. The thought pounded through Tyler's head, freezing him in place. Another hiss came, and all five eevee started at the movement as Mother suddenly sprang, knocking it back and disappearing from view. A shout rang out – a human voice. There was a Catcher here. _What's happening?_ Tyler's heart was pounding now. He had to know if Mother was all right, if they would be. Had to see where the snake pokémon was. It could come in any second; they weren't safe. As one, the five young eevee started creeping to the right, trying to see.

After several agonizing moments, Tyler could make out Mother's tail lashing back and forth. A few more steps brought her attacker into view. It was an arbok, but there were also two massive pokémon Tyler had never seen before. Standing behind them was a Catcher in dark colors. _That's not right,_ Tyler thought. _Father said Catchers only use one pokémon at a time!_

That didn't seem to matter here, though. At another shout, the three pokémon started advancing menacingly toward Mother. She bristled; jagged edges appeared on her head and tail leaves and she spun, spraying them in all directions. Her attackers backed off, hunched defensively and grunting in pain as the spray found them. _Those were razor leaves!_ Tyler didn't know Mother could do that – maybe they did have a chance. Mother hissed out a warning: " _Stay back!_ "

There was another moment of hesitation, broken by a Catcher's shout. In response, the pokémon on the right – a massive, horned thing standing on its hind legs, charged forward. Tyler cringed at the thought, but Mother stood her ground defiantly. It slammed into Mother – and came to a crashing halt, its arms flying forward as the leafeon stood unmoved with her right shoulder braced against its chest. Tyler blinked in disbelief, and one of his siblings gasped. _How is she doing that?_ His gaze fell on her paws, and he realized the brown tips had sunk into the ground. With a growl of effort, Mother pushed back and sent her attacker stumbling backwards, arms windmilling to keep its balance. The five eevee watched in awe. Mother was a match for any of them.

But not for all three.

As they watched, the Catchers urged the two massive pokémon forward while the arbok slithered around to the left, intent on reaching their den. Mother leaped back and scattered razor leaves again, snarling, "Leave them alone!" Tyler watched in terror as the arbok dodged low and closed in; Mother spun on her paws, slashing with her tail. The arbok leaned back as her tail leaf sliced the air in front of it, then struck with frightening speed. Mother cried out as it sunk fangs into her foreleg, but she slashed down with the leaf on her head, sending it writhing away from her with a deep cut in its hood.

Mother turned to face her other two enemies, but Tyler's breath caught in his throat as she stumbled on her hurt leg. The sun was just coming into view now, and Mother paused, turning toward the light and fanning out her leaves. The two large pokémon closed in and Mother folded her leaves, taking a defensive position again as they broke into a run. Tyler saw that she was limping, and his heart sank. She probably couldn't stop another charge.

"SARA!" A shout from the side made them all jump. _It's Father! He came back!_ The flareon came charging into view from somewhere behind them, flames raging all over his body. He hit the smaller of the charging pokémon in an explosion of fire, knocking it into the other and stopping them again, then breathed a stream of fire across the ground, blocking them off for a moment before turning back to the den where Tyler huddled with his brothers and sisters. "Go! Run!" he called, bursts of fire coming out of his mouth with each word. "They're all around!" The five young eevee hesitantly left the den, bunching together and trying to look in all directions at once. _Where do we go?_ Tyler wondered. Catchers and their pokémon seemed to be _everywhere_ – more of them were spaced around the clearing, some visible in the trees, and still others up in the sky.

As the flames on the ground started to burn out, the flareon turned to Mother. "Sara… get them away from here." His flames faded and for a moment, they looked like Mother and Father always did. Then Father glared back at the Catchers. "I'll keep them from following you." His fire roared up again and Father charged, howling a battle cry at their attackers.

Mother turned back to Tyler and his siblings, limping quickly toward the edge of the clearing. "Come on!" For a moment, Tyler thought he saw tears in Mother's eyes. _Father's going to be all right – isn't he?_ He shook his head and followed Mother into the trees. Even though she was limping, he almost had to run to keep up. As the clearing fell away behind them, Tyler looked back once or twice. He heard fighting, but all he could see were flashes from Father's fire attacks. They could hear more Catchers in the forest around them and see occasional flashes of movement, but Mother led them on a zigzag course through the trees, swerving away from the sounds. All Tyler could do was follow, hoping they would make it to safety before a Catcher found them.

After a few minutes of running, there was a sudden pounding sound and another of the giant pokémon burst through a bush. For a moment, all six of them stood frozen, but then their new enemy jumped forward. Carson, Skylar, Tyler, and Sasha all scattered into the undergrowth, but it got Kara, grasping her in huge claws and backing away into the bushes. It had all happened too fast – there were too many Catchers to get away from.

As the thoughts passed through Tyler's mind, Carson announced, "I'm going after her."

"And what will you do?" Mother asked.

"I'll see if I can get her away from that thing." Carson spoke quickly, throwing a look at the bush the pokémon had disappeared into. "That's what you and Father always taught us to do."

"And if they catch you, too?" Mother sounded frantic.

Carson shook his head. "Then I'll be there to take care of her, wherever they're taking us. She needs someone, and I'm the oldest. It's what Father would do." Without waiting for a response, Carson darted in the direction of the giant pokémon's stomping footfalls, disappearing into the brush in a sudden blur of speed. Tyler blinked. _What was that?_

"Carson!" Mother shouted after him, but Tyler's older brother was already gone, running after their sister. After a few moments they couldn't hear him or Kara's attacker any more. Mother shook herself and they turned back to her. "Come on. We have to keep moving." The three remaining eevee came out of the bushes and followed her as she continued on.

The sun rose higher as they ran, throwing spots of light across the ground. It was going to be a beautiful day, but Tyler didn't care about that now. Father was back there, Carson and Kara were both gone, and Mother was hurt. She was moving slower now and her limp was getting worse – they weren't running anymore. "Are you all right?" he asked. Mother nodded but didn't look at him, and Tyler folded his ears back anxiously.

They rounded a fallen log and Mother started moving faster, murmuring "almost there…" under her breath. Tyler's spirits lifted a little, but then they heard more sounds of Catchers and pokémon. Mother glanced back and angled away again, but the sounds got closer, paws loping through the brush and stopping every few seconds. _It's hunting us,_ Tyler realized. The sounds passed them, and for a moment Tyler hoped he might be wrong – maybe it was another pokémon running from the Catchers? Then a persian burst out of the bushes in front of them, cutting Tyler's family off and dashing his hopes. He turned the other way, but another arbok he hadn't heard appeared there, surrounding them on two sides.

A Catcher came through the trees behind it and Mother screamed, "Run!" She turned to the Catcher and arbok, somehow finding the energy to run a few steps to a patch of sun and root herself there. Tyler watched as her paws sank into the ground again. "Come face _me_ ," she growled at their attackers. She sounded a bit stronger, and Tyler realized she was drawing strength from the sunlight through her leaves. She whipped off another spray of leaves toward the Catcher and pokémon behind them, but the persian closed in on the three eevee from the other side. "Go!" Mother shouted back over her shoulder. The persian glanced up at her, then back at Tyler and his siblings.

"Come on," it taunted. "You're not getting away from me." It crouched, tail lashing back and forth, daring them to run.

Tyler took a deep breath and glanced at his brother and sister. _We've got to do something now_. "Sasha," he ordered, "get away. Skylar, come on." Skylar nodded understanding, and they broke into a charge as Sasha disappeared off into the bushes. Tyler's instincts told him Skylar was about to do something, and he faded back a few steps. The persian turned, bringing a paw back to swipe at them, but Skylar chose that moment to swerve left, crossing in front of his brother. Tyler accelerated to a full sprint, charging out of his brother's shadow to the right. The persian hesitated at the switch for a critical moment, eyes flicking back and forth at Skylar and Tyler, and they hit it one after another, bowling it over. _Perfect_. Neither of them stopped to see what would happen next; they scrambled around the flailing persian and made for cover.

Tyler glanced back to see that Mother was looking at them. She met his gaze for a moment and nodded, giving him a brave smile. Then it was into the brush, still running at top speed with the persian's infuriated yowl echoing in their ears. "It didn't see that coming," Skylar panted, glancing at his brother. Tyler nodded, but he couldn't bring himself to smile. Tears filled his eyes as he realized it might be the last time he saw Mother. Everything had gone wrong today. Skylar came closer and caught his eye. "At least we got away, right?" he said, more seriously. "Let's make it count."

Tyler nodded. "You're right." They kept going, swerving around thick brush and tree trunks. He could hear the persian, some distance back but coming after them, and he shared a concerned glance with his brother. They hit the bank of a stream – probably the same one they drank from – and had to follow it for a while. A shallow part came into view on the left, and they both swerved to cross, splashing a few steps through the shallows and back up the other bank, turning to put bushes between them and the persian.

As they emerged onto the forest floor again, Skylar panted, "Let's split up. It'll be harder for them to find both of us."

Tyler nodded. "Good luck, Skylar." Tears came to his eyes again, and he looked over to see that Skylar's eyes were wet too.

"Good luck, Tyler." A thick patch of brush loomed in front of them, and by unspoken agreement Tyler split right while his brother went left around the bushes. He kept looking to the left and caught a few final glimpses of his brother before distance and trees separated them completely. Now that they'd crossed the river, the sounds of the persian were fading into the distance. Tyler couldn't hear any more Catchers around, but he didn't stop running. Fear that they might come bursting out of the trees at any moment kept him going, determined to get away from them. He focused on the path ahead, blocking out everything else. He couldn't worry about the rest of his family now. He couldn't stop.

Exhaustion finally forced him to a halt. He didn't know how far he'd gone or where he was now; the sun was high in the sky. Tyler looked around, stumbling toward a bush. He barely had the presence of mind to look for somewhere covered to rest. Crawling underneath, Tyler pulled himself to the thickest part and finally let himself collapse, instantly falling asleep.


	3. Lost and Alone

When Tyler woke, it was late afternoon. He sat up weakly, trying to remember why he was in a bush and why he felt so hungry and thirsty. All of a sudden, that morning's memories came rushing back to him – Father fighting three Catchers at once as the rest of them fled the clearing… Carson following Kara, leaving them in a blur of speed… following Mother through the trees as her injuries got worse and worse… being ambushed by the other Catcher… turning back to see Mother smile at him one last time… pelting through the trees with Skylar running beside him, trying to put as much distance between them and the Catchers as they could… and then finally running on alone, coming to a stop here. A wave of sadness followed as he realized he didn't know where any of his family was or what had happened to them. He didn't know if Father had gotten away, or Mother, or Carson and Kara. Skylar and Sasha had been safe the last time he'd seen them, but he didn't know what had happened to them after that either. Maybe none of them had gotten away. Maybe they had all been caught, leaving him on his own.

 _But I can't worry about that right now,_ Tyler thought. _I don't even know where **I** am_. His flight had taken him far beyond the part of the forest he was familiar with. _I have to find my way back. Maybe I'll find there. Maybe they'll be waiting for me_. Tyler dragged himself out of the bush, conscious of the dryness in his mouth and the gnawing pain in his stomach. The exertion made his head spin for a few seconds, and the eevee stood still until the dizziness passed. _I need water. And find a berry bush._ Tyler started looking around. It occurred to him that there might still be Catchers around, so he pricked his ears up, listening intently for any sound of his attackers. There was nothing other than the normal sounds of the forest, and the eevee relaxed a little, sniffing the breeze. He could make out a faint scent of berries, but no water so far. Recalling where he'd been running, Tyler had a vague idea that the stream was… somewhere off to the right. He didn't know how far.

The eevee set off slowly in the direction of food, trying to ignore the hunger he felt. As he got closer, though, he couldn't help imagining the sweet taste and the juice running down his parched throat, and his mouth watered in anticipation. He had to stop periodically to rest and let his head clear. When he finally found the bush, Tyler pulled off the first berry he found and started wolfing it down, thinking it might be the best one he'd ever had, even though there was a tangy sourness to it he usually didn't like. They weren't as juicy as he'd hoped, but Tyler ravenously ate another one. His hunger was easing now, and he started wondering again how he would find his way home.

He started looking around the immediate area. Usually pokémon didn't live _too_ close to berry bushes, so he turned away, heading for a clearer area. Things were still quiet, which was strange. Around Tyler's den, there were almost always a few pokémon about. Tyler had played with some of the young ones a few times. Maybe they were hiding from the Catchers? _I haven't seen any since I woke up, though._ He moved through the trees, sniffing for pokémon. He found a few holes, but they were either vacant or had an air of danger to them.

Finally Tyler found a hole that didn't smell too threatening. He came a little closer and called, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

There was a pause, a shuffling noise, and then a furret's striped head poked out of the hole. "Hello there," it said. With a critical look at the eevee, it added, "You look a little young to be out here on your own. Haven't you heard, there are Catchers around?"

Tyler shivered at the words. "They chased my family away from our den," he told the furret, hanging his head. "I got lost running away from them."

The striped pokémon's expression became a little more kindly. "I'm sorry, young one. Do you know where your family is?"

"No… I don't," Tyler replied, choking up a little at the words. He looked up hopefully at the furret. "Can you help me find my way back?"

"I'm afraid I can't," it said. Tyler's heart sank, and the furret put a paw on his shoulder. "Don't look so down. I might know someone who can." He turned and started slinking away, tossing a "Follow me" over his shoulder.

Tyler followed the furret for several minutes, winding between trees and bushes until his guide came to a stop at the base of another tree. Peering up the trunk, he called out, "Cora?"

An answering chirp came from the branches. "Stanley? Is that you again? What is it?" A pidgeotto hopped into view on one of the thicker branches. "Who's that down there with you?"

"Cora, this is…" Stanley paused. "What _is_ your name?"

"I'm Tyler," the eevee told them.

Stanley nodded. "Well, Tyler here got lost running from the Catchers this morning. It was this morning, wasn't it?" Tyler nodded, and the furret continued. "Yes, this morning. I thought you might be able to point him back to his den? Since you see a lot of the forest, I mean."

Cora cocked her head thoughtfully. "I might. Where do you live, little one?"

"I don't know. A den, by the clearing."

"Well, there are a lot of clearings in this forest. What else can you tell me about it?"

"Well…" Tyler thought for a moment. "It's close to the steam. And there are a lot of berry bushes around. Mother takes care of them."

Cora nodded. "Your mother… takes care of the bushes?" She looked back down sharply. "Wait. Is she a leafeon?"

Tyler's heart leaped. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "Have you seen her? Do you know where she is?"

Cora looked at him without speaking for a few moments, as if trying to make up her mind. "I think I've seen her before. Not recently, but… I think I remember the area. Your kind aren't very common, you know – leafeon even less."

Tyler looked up the pidgeotto. "Will you help me?"

Cora cocked her head, staring at him for a moment as if he'd just grown fins. "Of course I will! My little ones left the nest last summer, so I don't have a family to look after at the moment. And, you know, we all have to look out for each other – especially when Catchers come." She fluffed her feathers up for a moment, glaring into the distance. "The very idea of it, coming into the forest in force!" she huffed.

"Well, if that's all settled, I'll be going back to my hole," Stanley interjected. "You—Tyler—good luck," he added. The furret turned and disappeared into the undergrowth.

After he left, Cora said, "Before we get going, I need to get something to eat. Have you eaten?"

Tyler nodded, then remembered. "But I haven't had any water today. We got chased away really early in the morning."

Cora gave him another look "Oh, you poor thing. I should have noticed. You look like you're barely on your paws."

"I don't feel that bad," Tyler protested, but without much force. Moving still made him feel lightheaded

"Let's see…" Cora shuffled her wings. "There is a stream around here, but it might be a little far for you. "Let's see," she said again. "I could carry you there if you're all right with it."

"Wait, what do you mean carry me?" Tyler asked, worried.

"I mean pick you up and fly you over to the stream. Don't worry, I've done it before. You won't fall."

Tyler thought about it. If the stream wasn't close, it could be hard to get to. He sighed. "I'll try it," he told the pidgeotto. Even though he had an idea of what was coming, he still tensed up as her claws wrapped around his middle. His stomach lurched as Cora flapped down hard and his paws left the ground.

"Are you all right, little one?" Cora flipped her head upside down so she was looking at him. Tyler nodded uncertainly. "All right. I have to fly higher to get there. Going through the trees is hard, so I'm going over, okay?" Tyler nodded tensely, sure he was going to regret this. With each flap they rose higher; Tyler grimaced. Falling that far would probably kill him. He made a determined effort to relax, but when they passed the level of the treetops the eevee had to squeeze his eyes shut. The only thing holding him up now was Cora's grip around his middle. Tyler _knew_ she wouldn't, but what if she let go, or lost her grip on him…

"Are you all right?" Cora's voice came again.

Without opening his eyes, Tyler pleaded, "Please, just tell me when we get there?"

"I will," the pidgeotto confirmed. "You don't have to watch if you don't want to." Tyler nodded miserably. _I hope it's over soon_.

After several long minutes of nothing but rushing air, Cora said, "We're almost there. I'm getting ready to land now." Tyler nodded acknowledgement but didn't open his eyes until his paws touched solid ground. As soon as Cora let go of him, he collapsed on the ground in relief, looking around and confirming that he was surrounded by tree roots and bushes again. Tyler promised himself then and there that if there was a flying Eon, he would never evolve into it.

"I'm sorry about that," Cora said. Tyler turned to look up at the pidgeotto. "Are you all right?"

Tyler was starting to relax now. He nodded slowly, then said, "That was scary. I don't want to do it again." He did hear water close by now, so he added, "Um, thanks though. For bringing me here."

"You're welcome, little one," Cora answered. "I'm sorry flying frightened you so much. We don't have to do it again."

"Okay." Tyler wasn't sure what else to say, so he turned and headed walked to the bank of the stream. It wasn't like the place he was used to, so his paws got muddy, but he didn't care. The eevee lapped at the water for several minutes until he started feeling better. Finally he backed out of the mud and sat down, licking water from around his mouth. He almost went to brush it off with a paw, but remembered it was muddy at the last moment. He looked expectantly at Cora. "Can we go find my family now?"

She gave a chuckle. "Not so fast. I still haven't eaten."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. Sorry." Tyler said, embarrassed.

"It's all right," Cora responded. "Do you want to wait here? I'll only be a few minutes." Tyler nodded, and the pidgeotto lifted her wings and flew off into the trees. He moved over to a patch of brush and curled up to wait. _Is my family all right?_

A few minutes later, as she'd said, the bird pokémon returned. Tyler sprang up, impatient to start moving. "Can we go now?"

Cora cocked her head and looked at him. "Of course we can, little one."

"All right… which way?"

The pidgeotto pointed with a wing. "This should be the same stream you were talking about. If I'm right, your den is closer to the edge of the forest, which is that way. All you have to do is follow it."

"Wait." Tyler felt a stab of panic. "Aren't you coming?"

Cora nodded. "I'd worry about you going off all alone. I'll stay with you until I know you're back safe."

Tyler started to breathe easier again. "Thanks, Cora." They set off at a brisk pace downstream, but Tyler fell into a more normal walking pace after a few minutes. Cora hopped along next to him for a short time, but soon she lifted into the air, telling Tyler she couldn't do that the whole way. She disappeared through the treetops, then circled back several times. The pidgeotto probably wished he would move faster, though she never said anything. Finally she settled for landing on tree branches in front of him, lifting off to perch on a new one each time he passed underneath her.

As they traveled, Cora asked him about his family and what his life had been like. He told her about Father and Mother; how Mother would take care of the berry bushes and make them grow stronger and how Father always made sure to train them and keep them safe. He talked about his siblings, recalling moments like the time that Sasha had hidden so well none of them could find her until she started giggling, or when Skylar had tried to cross the stream on a branch laying across the stream and fallen in.

Things turned more serious as he spoke hesitantly about that morning. Father's training had saved him, Tyler knew that. He'd taught Tyler and Skylar how to work together, and it had paid off against the Persian. Finally, he admitted what had happened with his parents. "Mother was trying to keep them away from us at first – but there were so many of them! Then Father came to help. He told us to get away, but… he stayed behind. I hope he's all right." Tyler walked in silence for a minute, head down. Finally, he swallowed the lump in his throat. "And then Mother… She took us away into the trees. She was already hurt, though. And then another Catcher found us. And she told us…" Tyler drew a huge breath. "She told us to run away. She… watched us go. And I don't know…" he started to sob. "If I'm ever… gonna see her… again." The Eevee couldn't hold back tears anymore, and he closed his eyes, not wanting to remember any more.

He heard a flapping sound, and then a wing swept over him as Cora pulled him close. "It'll be all right, little one," she crooned. Tyler sat down and leaned against her feathers.

After a few minutes, Tyler felt a little better. He got up to keep going and realized suddenly how sore his legs had gotten. "Owww…" He looked up at the pidgeotto. "I'm really sore all of a sudden," he explained.

"Poor thing, I'm not surprised. You've gone a long way today. Maybe we should stop for the night. It's starting to get late anyway." She was right. The sun was low in the sky. Normally right now Tyler would be begging to stay out a little longer, but he was a long way from home and he was tired. He gave her a nod and went over to the stream, finding a way down the bank so he could get a drink. After that he followed the pidgeotto, gingerly picking his way over to a berry bush she'd quickly found.

After he ate, Tyler found a thick bush that would give him some cover. It wasn't like a den, but it was better than nothing. Cora perched on a branch overhead, reassuring him that she would stay there and make sure nothing happened. Tyler slid to the ground, finally relaxing his sore muscles. He didn't curl up like he normally did, but lay on his side with his legs stretched out on the ground. The Eevee gave a relieved sigh, and as it got dark he fell asleep hoping he would find his den and his family the next day.

Tyler woke up when the sun was just starting to lighten the sky. Above him, Cora was still asleep. Tyler felt anxious to be going; he had to find out if his family was all right. He fidgeted for a few minutes, but finally he couldn't wait any longer. Looking up, he called out, "Cora? Are you awake?"

The feathered shape stirred, and Cora pulled her head halfway out from under her wing. "I am now," she grumbled. "Haven't you ever heard of letting others wake up properly? Did you have to shout?" She turned her head east. "I can't even see the sun yet."

Tyler hunched his shoulders contritely. "Sorry… It was just… I want to see my family. I want to know if they're all right."

The pidgeotto sighed, and something in her expression softened. "I know, little one," she said more gently. "Just give me a minute, and we can find something to eat."

"I don't want to eat," Tyler said stubbornly. "I want to get home."

"Well, you've got to eat _something_ ," Cora replied sternly. "I think we've still got a way to go, and we probably won't be there until noon – well, depending on when we leave," she added with a glance at the sun, which was just coming up. "Anyway, I'm not going to let you run yourself into the ground for no reason. I'm getting something to eat, _you're_ getting something to eat, and _then_ we'll keep going."

Tyler gave in. He knew from Cora's tone that there wasn't any point arguing. _Besides,_ he admitted grudgingly, _she's probably right. I do need to eat something if I don't want it to be like yesterday_. "All right," he said aloud. He got up, stretching his legs one at a time. Fortunately he didn't feel as sore as the night before.

"I know you're worried," Cora added, "but you need to take care of yourself. I'm a mother too, you know, and I'm going to see to it that you get home safe and well."

They went back to the bush Cora had found the night before. The berries weren't Tyler's favorite kind, but he didn't complain. They would get him home. They went back to the stream, and then finally they set off again, keeping the stream on their left. Once they were moving, Tyler felt better. He followed the path of the stream through the forest. Cora stayed near him most of the time, occasionally taking off ahead to report on the path and direction. Tyler told her that he'd crossed the stream the day before, so the second time she returned, Tyler was heartened to hear that she'd found a shallow spot like the place he'd crossed.

As he got closer to home, Tyler started to get worried. What if someone wasn't there? What if they were all gone? Cora listened to him for a while, then she gently started speaking.

"You know, my mate got captured."

Tyler looked up. "Really?"

The pidgeotto nodded. "He was always faster and stronger than I was, but he got in more fights than he should have. One day he lost, and instead of just leaving, the Catcher took him." She looked down, lost in thought. "I've gotten in fights with Catchers too, once or twice, but I let them win easily and they left me alone. Not that I think I would have won anyway," she added, "but really – Catchers want to find strong pokémon. Fighting harder just gives them a reason to try to catch you. It's better just to stay away, I think."

They were silent after that for a while. "I'm sorry," Cora said again. "That's not really what I wanted to tell you. I was just going to say… Oh, I don't know. I wish I could just tell you everything will be all right, but I don't know any more than you do." She looked up, out into the trees. "We're almost to the shallow spot."

Tyler quickened his pace, glad for a change of subject. He veered closer to the stream, trying to recognize it, and after a few more minutes of walking he came to a part that looked familiar. He went close to the water; looking down, he saw prints. _Are those from us?_ The eevee stepped closer and put a paw in the damp soil next to one of them. The prints looked the same. Turning back to Cora, he said, "This is it. This is where we crossed yesterday." He looked around, half hoping to see Skylar returning from another direction.

Cora flapped down next to him. "You came a long way. Poor little one, you must have been running for a long time."

Tyler nodded, looking down. "Um… Do you know which way it is from here?"

The pidgeotto cocked her head. "I'm not quite sure. Wait here and I'll check."

She was gone for a while, longer than Tyler hoped. He kept peering up through the treetops, hoping to see the bird returning as the sun rose higher. Finally she showed up again, flaring her wings to land. "All right. I think it's that way." She pointed downstream again with her wing. "You said you lived close to the stream, right?" Tyler slowly nodded, and they started moving again.

After walking for a while longer, Tyler caught a familiar scent on the breeze. "Father!" he shouted excitedly.

Cora looked at him curiously. "What are you talking about? I can't see anything."

The eevee shook his head. "No, I can smell him." He made his way forward, following the scent. It led him to a worn path threading through the trees. The grass had worn down to bare earth in some places. He sniffed at it, only to find that the scents were at least a day old. "Oh," he said, crestfallen. "It's not him. This must be where he always goes."

"What do you mean?" the pidgeotto asked curiously.

"Father always goes out in the mornings and at night. He's usually gone when we wake up. I guess he goes around here." He thought for a moment. "I think he goes around to make sure everything is safe. But…" Tyler sighed. "I can't smell anything from today. Or last night, probably."

Cora nodded silently. After a moment, she said, "Well… At least we know this is the right way. And maybe, he's been busy looking for you."

Tyler nodded. "I hope so." They went on until Tyler saw the place they always went to drink. "I know where we are now!" he called out to Cora. "Our den is just this way!" He broke into an excited run, anxious to see his home. He felt a little worried about Catchers as he emerged into the clearing, but the eevee ignored it, dashing heedlessly through the grass and pushing into the undergrowth on the other side.

When he came into sight of their den, Tyler stopped, ears falling back. He didn't see or hear anyone there. Tyler entered the den, hoping to find some sound or scent that meant his family was there. But the familiar smells were days old. He already knew no one had come back here. The eevee came out, dejected, and Cora landed nearby. "I don't see anyone," she reported. Tyler, head down, shook his head in agreement. The pidgeotto hopped closer and wrapped a wing around him. "I'm so sorry."

Tyler fought back tears. "Maybe… I'm the first one back. Maybe Mother and Father are coming. Maybe they had to find everyone first."

"Maybe," Cora replied, doubtful. "Do you think any of your brothers and sisters got away?"

Tyler thought for a moment, hoping. "…I saw Sasha run away, into the bushes. Skylar was with me when we ran, but then we split up." He thought of his older siblings. "A big pokémon took Kara. Carson went after her… maybe he got her away. Or… At least I don't think he would let them catch him. Mother and Father…" Tyler stopped. He knew Mother and Father only wanted to get their children away. They hadn't cared about escaping. Sadness started welling up in him again.

Cora gave him a knowing look, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. "So what are you going to do now?" she asked. The question startled him. "I'm not your mother… and she's not here," Cora pointed out. "I can't make your decisions for you. You need to decide."

Tyler pushed his sadness down again, focusing on the question. _What should I do now?_ He would wait, he decided. He would wait for someone to come. "I think I'll stay here," he told the pidgeotto. "Maybe someone will come. And if they do… I don't want them to find an empty den, like…" he started to choke up. "Like I did," he finished, breaking down in tears. The eevee let himself drop to the ground, sobbing.

Cora's wing swept over him again. "Don't give up, little one," she said. "Don't _ever_ give up." She held him for several minutes, pressing him against her downy chest and making soothing noises. Tyler finally started to feel better, and he took a deep breath. He wiped a paw across his eyes and sat up, shaking himself.

"All right," the eevee murmured, half to himself. "I'm going to wait here for a while. Hopefully someone will come."

"I think that's a good idea," Cora agreed. "I'll visit you every once in a while to see how you're doing."

"You can't stay?" Tyler pleaded. "I thought you would stay."

"I can't, little one," Cora told him. "I have things to do at home. It's time for me to look at raising a new brood." She paused. "But I don't have to be there all the time, not for a few months yet. I can still fly here to check on you."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks, Cora."

"Of course, little one." She wrapped her wings around him again for a moment and then turned and took off. Tyler had to shield his eyes as her wings blew dust into the air. He watched her fly away, then retreated to the den and curled up in the spot he always slept in, letting out his breath in a sigh. As he did, his gaze passed over Sasha's spot and the eevee was suddenly overcome by memories of his family. What would they be doing now? Mother might be off tending the bushes, making them grow larger and stronger so there would always be enough to eat; Kara might be curled up under a tree, watching pidgey and spearow fluttering in and out of the trees on the other side of the clearing; Sasha would sometimes stalk bugs (little ones, not bug pokémon – she hated those) through the grass. Carson, Skylar, and Tyler would romp around in the clearing, chasing and running and pouncing on one another and rolling around in a tan-and-cream ball until they were all exhausted while Father looked on, always watchful.

 _What if they don't come back?_ Tyler wondered. _Where is everyone now?_ Father and Mother had told them that Catchers traveled a lot, looking for different kinds of pokémon to fight and catch. If they had taken his family, they could be anywhere. _I hope they got away. I hope someone did._

Tyler waited in the den for part of the afternoon until hunger finally drove him out into the forest. He was afraid; being alone made him feel much smaller. He stayed close to the den and the clearing, constantly checking that there was a patch of undergrowth nearby that he could hide in if anything happened. The eevee cautiously made his way to one of Mother's bushes to eat. It was one of the ones with sweet berries. That made him feel a little better, but it made him miss Mother too.

He worked his way carefully around the edge of the clearing, listening and sniffing the air. A noise startled him and he whirled, but it was only a young pikachu, who had appeared out of a hole. Tyler thought he might recognize him. "You're back! Er… which are you again?"

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked, confused.

"Well, there are a lot of you. Five, I think? I know there's an eevee family here, but I don't know your name."

"Oh. I'm Tyler." A thought struck him. "What do you mean, I'm here?"

"Well, your family ran for it, didn't they?" the pikachu asked. "I saw the whole thing… but I hid in my hole whenever they came close. Anyway, it was crazy. Catchers were _everywhere_!"

"What did you see? Did you see Father? Is he all right?" The questions came tumbling out as fast as Tyler could think of them.

"The Flareon – your father?" The pikachu looked down. "They caught him." Tyler's heart sank. He had thought so, but… "Though I can tell you," the lightning mouse continued, eyes distant, "they had quite a fight on their hands. The battle went all over the clearing for about ten minutes. They were ganging up on him. That's not right! Like I said, though, he didn't go down easy. By the time they caught him, four of their pokémon were out of the fight. He burned that nidoking really badly."

"Nidoking?"

"Really big one." The pikachu stretched its arms out. "They're purple and kinda spiky."

Tyler remembered. _Nidoking. So that's what it was called_. "What did they do with him?" Tyler was dreading the answer, but he had to know for sure.

Well, once he finally went down, they caught him with one of those balls. I think he was the last one. They left after that."

Tyler nodded sadly. His thoughts turned to the Catchers again. "What were they doing, anyway?"

"As far as I could tell, they were just catching all the pokémon they found." The pikachu paused for a moment. "Especially young ones, like us. They just sort of plowed through the forest and sent their pokémon after everything that moved. They didn't seem to care what, though like I said, they seemed to be going more after young pokémon. A bunch of them went after your family, though. You're the only ones they did that with. Two of them just stopped what they were doing to follow you, and one of the others went to help fight your father. One of them had an ekans." The pikachu shivered. "It was about to find my hole. So I guess I should thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome, I guess," Tyler answered, embarrassed. "I didn't really do anything, though. I was just running away like everyone else."

"Well, when Catchers come like that, it's dangerous for all of us. Your family kept them away from me."

Tyler looked down. "Yeah… but I don't know where they are now. Or if they got away." _Don't think that, Tyler. Someone had to_. He shook his fears away. "Which way did you say they went?"

The pikachu pointed off east, away from the sun. "They went that way. I think they came that way too. You can still see their tracks pretty easy – there are a lot of them."

"All right." Tyler made up his mind. "I want to go see them. I'll see you later." He started to go, then turned back. "Thanks for telling me."

"Sure." The pikachu shyly waved it off. "See you later. Good luck."

Tyler continued around the clearing until he found the tracks. Just like the pikachu had said, they weren't hard to spot. He looked up, eyes following their trail into the forest. At least from here, it was easy to tell they were heading east. After staring after them for a while, Tyler pulled himself away. He still needed to find out if any of his family was around.

He finished his circuit of the meadow without picking up any new scents of family. There were day-old scents of the invading pokémon and Catchers; Tyler could smell the dry scent of ekans and arbok and unfamiliar, threatening smells of other pokémon like the nidoking. He also noticed a strong smell of charred grass. Venturing hesitantly out into the clearing, he found trampled and torn areas all over, punctuated by streaks and circles of blackened grass. Father _had_ done a lot of fighting.

All of the scents were old now, though; the eevee couldn't make out any new ones, and no sign of Mother or his brothers and sisters. He finally returned to the den as the sun set, discouraged. He curled up in a ball like he always did, but lay awake for a long time, wondering where his family was and if they were all right. Nighttime stole across the sky, and Tyler could make out a few stars through the mouth of the den. Finally the eevee closed his eyes. _Please, everyone, just be all right. Come back_. Eventually he fell asleep.


	4. The Search Begins

Tyler woke the next morning to find that there wasn't anything to do. He went to the stream to drink, found one of Mother's bushes and ate, but that was all. Tyler didn't have anyone to do anything with. Mother and Father would have taken them to train or play or something, but they weren't here. Neither were his brothers and sisters. The eevee sighed. He didn't feel like playing anyway. Mother, he knew, would have taken care of the bushes, but he wasn't a leafeon or anything. He didn't know how. After aimlessly circling the clearing for a while, Tyler turned away, going back to his den to wait. No – not _his_ den. _Their_ den. His family would come back. They had to.

As the morning wore on, boredom and the sense that he should be doing _something_ drove the eevee outside again. He retraced his steps around the clearing. Even though there wasn't anything new to see, it gave him something to do. As he came back around, his circuit reminded him that Father would always patrol around the forest in the evenings. That was probably where Father went in the mornings too. _I could do that,_ Tyler thought. _Maybe… maybe if I do, I'll find out more about where my family went?_ He resolved to try. _Where does Father patrol, though?_ All he knew was that he had crossed the path with Cora the day before. He didn't really know where it went or where else to find it. All he could do was retrace his steps.

Before going to look for the trail, Tyler ate and drank again. He didn't know how long it would take. Then he headed back upstream, busily sniffing for any sign of Father's scent. He had to go a surprising distance before he found it, but then there it was, the worn path stretching away in both directions. It crossed the stream on one side, and Tyler looked at it, trying to figure out how Father did it. Eventually he decided that a set of stones poking out of the water were the most likely choice. Father probably could have walked across them, but Tyler would have to jump from stone to stone. He took a deep breath and shook himself, getting ready for the first jump. He made it easily; the second stone was close enough to step to, though it was still a stretch. After that it was a short jump to the third, which was wide and flat, then a longer jump to a smaller, wet one. He bare

ly made it, and his back paws slid off the rock into the water. After a tense moment of hanging on with his forepaws, Tyler managed to scramble all the way onto the rock, balancing carefully.

The two jumps after that were relatively easy, and finally Tyler was on the far bank. His slip had soaked his hind legs and tail and part of his belly, and now that he had room, Tyler gave himself a vigorous shake. He still had to flick his tail a few times after that to get more water off. Finally he just had to accept that he would be wet for a while. It was a warm day, though, and between that and the mystery of where Father's path went he quickly forgot about his discomfort.

The flareon's trail slowly curved away into the forest. In some places, where the grass was worn down to bare dirt, it was easy to follow, but in others it spread out and became less clear. Maybe Father took different paths through the trees? At least the scent wasn't hard to follow.

One thing Tyler noticed was that the path stayed in clear areas, away from thick bushes. That made him a little nervous, since it didn't leave him much cover in case something happened. In some places, though, there was enough cover for an eevee. Father probably could have seen over the undergrowth and grass, so he might not have cared. Tyler was starting to realize how hard Father had worked to see everything and make sure things were safe.

Along the way, Tyler made sure to keep scenting the air for any trace of the rest of his family. So far there was nothing, although he could smell a lot of different pokémon and some Catchers from the day before. The human smells kept him on edge, but the eevee didn't see or hear anything wrong. Hopefully they were gone, and hopefully they wouldn't come back.

Tyler's paws were starting to ache again before he'd gone halfway around Father's ragged circle. He was definitely tracing a circle around the den – he just hadn't expected it to be so _big_. _All the walking and running from the last few days is probably doing it too._ He stopped to rest a few times, but eventually he gave up and turned toward the center of the circle. Along the way, he encountered the stream again. _That's right… I'm still on the other side._ He was crestfallen for a moment, but then he realized how thirsty he had gotten and went down to take a drink. The cool water tasted good, and it felt good on his sore forepaws too. Taking advantage of the shallows, he stepped into the water with all four paws. _I'm going to have to cross it anyway_ , the eevee thought.

The feel of water also reminded him of what a mess the last few days had left his coat in. There were twigs and tangles in his fur, especially his ruff and tail. It was even worse than training days. He decided to stop and bathe there, so he sat down in the water and started pulling out tangles with his teeth and short claws, spitting twigs into the water where they floated away. Once he'd done all he could, Tyler rolled over in the water, giving himself a few seconds to enjoy the coolness before his fur soaked all the way through. He climbed back to his paws again and clambered out of the stream, shaking himself dry several times.

It was getting late and he was tired, so Tyler started sniffing the air again, following his nose to the nearest berry bush. He recognized it, so after eating a berry he turned back to the den. His fur finished drying on the way and immediately turned fuzzy. Mother would have licked it straight again, but Tyler didn't feel like it that evening, so he just went into the den and curled up, thinking. He felt a little better about the day, but there still wasn't any sign of his family. _Maybe they're still lost. I had Cora to help me get back. And maybe Carson's still following the Catchers that took Kara?_ And what about Mother and Father? Maybe they were out searching for his brothers and sisters. _They would have come back, though, right? To check?_

Tyler sighed. He didn't know where any of them were. Or if they were all right. All the eevee could do was hope. He turned and stretched, carefully working his sore muscles, then curled up again out of the way of the fading light to sleep.

The eevee woke the next morning feeling a lot better. He yawned and stretched again, realizing he hadn't slept so well or so long in a while. The bath had done him some good too, though now that he thought about it… Tyler looked himself over and sighed again. _I should've licked my fur out last night._ It was as fuzzy as it had been the night before, and dust had gotten on it from the floor of the den. He turned his head and started working on his ruff, trying to get the fur to lay flat again. After a while, he was mostly successful at getting it to lay down, and he started working on his legs and tail. By the time he'd finished, the sun was on its way toward noon. He went to the stream to drink, found another bush – a different one this time, just for variety – and then started considering what to do with the day.

He'd already decided not to go off looking around the forest. The eevee didn't know where he'd even start, and besides, anyone who'd gotten away would be coming back here like he had. At least Tyler hoped so. _That, and I might get lost again if I go too far_. He briefly considered trying to complete Father's circuit, but he still didn't feel up to it – he felt better today, but not all the way. Eventually he decided to just go around the clearing and see what he could find out. There were a few more pokémon around, he noted hopefully. Tyler explored leisurely through the forest, keeping near the clearing, for what remained of the morning and then headed back. On the way, he picked up another sound that hadn't been there before. He approached carefully, keeping to the bushes, until he caught a familiar scent in the air and saw a rattata going in and out of its hole, pushing dirt out the entrance.

Satisfied that it was safe, Tyler came a little closer and stepped out of the undergrowth. "Hello?"

The rattata froze halfway through emerging with another load of dirt, only its nose poking out of the hole. Tyler moved around so he was clearly visible; once the rattata saw him, it relaxed. "Oh, good, just an eevee," she sighed. "I've been worrying that the Catchers would come back."

The words made Tyler a little uneasy too, and he paused to listen again for a moment. Nothing. "Did you just get back?" he asked the rattata.

The rattata nodded. "Just this morning. I've been being careful, you know, after what happened. I didn't want anything to find me." She shook her head and continued under her breath. "And as soon as I get here – what do you know? An eevee stumbles right on my hole!"

"I didn't just 'stumble in' here," Tyler retorted, insulted. "I could hear you from a way off. That's why I came over here, to see what was going on."

"You heard me?" The rattata looked taken aback. "But…" she sighed. "Well, I guess I'm not as sneaky as I thought, then."

"It's all right," Tyler offered. "The Catchers chased me out too. I only got back two days ago." The words brought back his worries about his family, and he quickly looked for something else to say. "What are you doing with your den?" he asked.

"I'm cleaning it," the rattata replied. "I was hiding in here when they came. An ekans came right down my hole. Good thing there are two ways out," she added to herself, giving a little shiver. "Anyway, I get back and it smells like snake in here all the way through. I'd never be able to sleep in it like that, so I'm digging the walls out a little, getting all the snake smell out." Tyler sniffed. Now that she mentioned it, he could smell traces of ekans scent on the pile of dirt.

"Have you seen any others coming back?"

"I saw a few. Mostly pidgey and spearow."

"Did you… see any eevee?" Tyler asked. He had to know. "My brothers and sisters all ran, but I haven't seen any of them come back yet."

She looked at him for a moment. "I'm sorry, I haven't been very kind, have I? I didn't even think you might have a family too." She paused. "I'm afraid I haven't, though."

Tyler looked down. "It's all right." He still didn't really want to talk about his family. "I'm worried about Catchers coming back too. I got lost running away."

"How did you get back so fast then?"

"Someone helped me." Tyler let his tail droop. He wished Cora would come see him again too.

The rattata was obviously interested, but she didn't press him any more. "Well," she said, turning away, "if I see any eevee, I'll tell you. I can't really do anything else."

"All right," Tyler replied. "Thanks." He headed home, a little depressed. He still didn't have any idea where his brothers and sisters might be. The day had one surprise left for him, though. As he came into sight of the den, Cora fluttered down to land in front of him.

"There you are!" she exclaimed. "I've been waiting for you for a while, little one."

Tyler perked up. "Cora! You're back! Ummm… How are you doing?"

"I've been fine," Cora responded, a twinkle in her eye. "Just getting my nest ready. I told you I'd come by to keep an eye on you.." She cocked her head. "So. How have _you_ been doing?"

The eevee thought about it for a moment. "I've been doing better."

The pidgeotto nodded. "And where were have you been all day?"

"I've just been… looking around. Talking to pokémon around here. I tried to follow Father's patrol yesterday, but it's really long."

"Well, it's good that you're keeping busy," Cora observed. She shuffled her wings before going on. 'It doesn't look like anyone's found you here, have they?" Tyler laid his ears back as he looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry. I've been looking around whenever I fly, but I haven't seen any of your family either. But I can't see everything," she added. "They could have been in the undergrowth. Or I just could have missed them."

"It's all right," Tyler mumbled. "I know you're looking. I am too."

Cora leaned down and caught his eye. "What have you found out?"

Tyler shook his head. "Not very much. A lot of pokémon are gone. Some of them are coming back, though," he added hopefully. "This morning I ran into a rattata who was cleaning out her den. She said they almost found her too." He thought back to his conversation with the pikachu and sighed, remembering. "The Catchers… they caught Father. The pikachu I was talking to said he beat some of them, but then they were all attacking him together, and…" Tyler broke off. His voice was shaking. "It's… so unfair!" he howled suddenly. "Why did they all have to go after _us_? Why… why did they take my family?" he asked, trailing off to a murmur again. He sat down and started to cry.

Cora's wing swept over him. "You don't have to cry, little one. Your father stopped them from getting to you. That's what he wanted. He wouldn't ever have hesitated. I know. I would do the same for my chicks." She pulled him a little closer. "I would do the same for you, too."

Trembling, Tyler pushed his head into her warm feathers. It felt like forever since he had had anyone to comfort him. Cora didn't say anything else, just held him close until his breath steadied again and his shaking stopped. Finally, the eevee sat up and shook himself, taking a deep breath. "Thanks, Cora."

"Of course, little one. I'm a mother too."

Tyler nodded. He wanted to talk about something different, so he asked, "Are you cleaning up your nest?"

Cora smiled and shook her head. "No, this time I'm building a new one. Last winter wasn't good for it, and if I'm going to raise another brood… well, it was a little small the last time. I'm building a bigger one."

Clinging to the subject, Tyler asked, "How do you build a nest?"

Cora ruffled her feathers and gave him a pleased smile. "Well, you start by finding a good strong branch, one with a fork that will keep it steady and branches and leaves that will keep it hidden – above and below. Then you have to find sticks, bigger ones mostly. You use those to make sort of a skeleton for it. It's just sort of a circle then. After that, you start bringing smaller and smaller sticks to finish the shape and weave in grass and twigs to hold it all together."

"Isn't it uncomfortable, sleeping on sticks?" Tyler asked, curiosity piqued now.

Cora plumped up her feathers a little. "Not for us, no. Besides, I use feathers to line my nest, make it nice and soft for my little ones."

"Oh," Tyler said. Another thought struck him. "What is flying like?"

"It's nice. It's hard to get up in the air… but it's peaceful up there." Cora sighed, lost in thought. "I do love soaring over the forest." She looked back at Tyler. "Speaking of which… sorry, but I really do need to get back. My new nest needs to be strong enough that it won't fall apart if a storm comes tonight."

"Oh. Do you think there's going to be a storm?"

"Probably not, but there are clouds. It never hurts to be safe."

Tyler nodded acceptance. "All right. Thanks for coming to see me."

"Of course, little one," the pidgeotto responded. "Good luck. I'll come back again soon."

Tyler stepped back and closed his eyes as she spread her wings and lifted herself into the air, scattering dust and bits of last fall's leaves. When everything settled, Cora was winging through a gap in the trees and up into the sky. She turned left and passed out of Tyler's view.

He went back to the den feeling a little better. _I'm not going to give up_ , he thought with new determination. _I need to keep going. I don't have anyone to do training with, but I can still do_ something _. And I'm gonna get stronger. I'll keep going on Father's path until I can get all the way around_. He looked at the lowering sun. _Not tonight though,_ he thought, considering his still-sore paws. _I'll start tomorrow. What can I practice right now?_ There had to be something other than fighting moves he could work on.

After a minute, he decided to try sneaking around, so he went out and practiced creeping through the bushes as quietly as possible. It was hard. Even in the undergrowth, the ground was covered in a rustling layer of twigs and dead leaves. The bushes made noise whenever his fur caught on a branch too. He took a break after a while to eat and rest, laying quietly and just listening and smelling the forest around him, half hoping to pick up something new. There was nothing, so after a few minutes he got up again and practiced off and on until the sun started to slip below the trees. The eevee went back to the stream to drink, and then finally returned to his family's den to sleep.

He started to settle into a routine over the next few days. Tyler woke each day as sun reached him in the den, like he always had. He went to the stream to drink, then headed to find something to eat. He knew where four of Mother's bushes were, so he would pick one each day to keep things different. After that he would follow Father's patrol route around as far as he could. It was still hard and he knew he wasn't close to going all the way around; sometimes he went the other way just to see the rest of it.

There had been no sign of the Catchers since that morning, and slowly his fear of them coming back started to fade. More pokémon returned, and the eevee always made sure to ask them about his family if they seemed friendly. One or two mentioned having seen an eevee that day, but Tyler had no way of knowing which of his siblings it had been or where they were now. A few of them remembered Father's battle in the clearing, but apart from that Tyler didn't learn anything new.

Cora came to visit him every few days, though sometimes it would be longer or shorter. Tyler was grateful for the pidgeotto's company, especially as days stretched into weeks with no sign of his family; he wouldn't admit it, but his hopes were growing thinner and thinner. Cora told him she sometimes went looking around the forest, but she hadn't seen anything either. She saw an eon family once, but it had been a different one, far away from Tyler's clearing. She told him how she'd finished her nest with her new mate, and a few days later she told him there would be eggs soon and she wouldn't be able to visit very much.

The only other pokémon Tyler talked to regularly was the pikachu. They were both young and the pikachu still seemed worried about what would happen if the Catchers came back. It just wasn't the same, though; Tyler had always played and trained and everything with his siblings, and it felt awkward whenever he thought about asking the pikachu to play with him. He didn't want to train against it either. Father and Mother hadn't ever wanted their children to face off against each other – something about not getting into rivalries, whatever those were. Tyler still didn't feel comfortable about it.

As time went on, the sun started to come up earlier and earlier and the warming days indicated summer had come. Around this time, Tyler finally managed to get all the way around Father's circle without stopping to rest. He was getting stronger. He'd gotten better at keeping out of sight too, though he felt like he would never be able to avoid all the leaves and low-hanging branches. The only way to keep completely quiet was just to stay still.

As Tyler could now circle all the way around his den each morning, he saw more of the pokémon. There weren't any newcomers anymore; it seemed like all the pokémon who hadn't been caught had made their way back or moved on. The realization made him sad; it seemed like there wasn't any chance left that his family would come. Tyler didn't want to be alone. He got to know some of his neighbors; some were sympathetic, even friendly, others didn't seem to care, and a few he had learned to avoid, like an ekans that had taken up residence near the stream.

The main thing on everyone's mind was Catchers, but they slipped into memory as week after week passed with no sign of them. Tyler saw individual Catchers once or twice on Father's path, but they didn't look anything like the ones who had attacked them that day, and there was never more than one of them. The forest started to fall back into its natural rhythms; foraging rattata and pikachu were common sights, as were caterpie that had climbed trees to weave their hard cocoons and wait for evolution. Pidgey and spearow would come fluttering down to snatch up grasshoppers and worms, but they generally left the larger bug pokémon alone. Sometimes a fearow would show up, hunting those. Things were just as they had always been, but it all swirled around Tyler in a blur he didn't pay much attention to. Seeing other pokémon living their normal lives just reminded him of how alone he was.

He often thought about his family. Where were they? What was happening to them? Where had Skylar and Sasha gone? Had they gotten away? He thought his brother might have; after all, Tyler had. But then there was the Persian chasing them. Maybe Tyler had gotten away because it went after Skylar. He wondered if Carson was still free, if he had gotten Kara away. He thought he might have a chance; something had happened with the eevee when he'd suddenly turned into a blur. Tyler hadn't known eevee had powers before they evolved. He couldn't feel anything inside himself. Maybe his older brother had managed to save Kara. _Why wouldn't they come back, though?_ Tyler didn't have an answer for that question.

By now Tyler could take Father's path confidently. It still took him most of the morning, but now it barely tired him out at all. He had gotten used to the distance. It did make him a lot hungrier now.

One day, a little after the beginning of summer, Cora showed up unexpectedly to see him. Tyler returned from patrolling Father's circuit to see the pidgeotto waiting for him. "Cora!" he shouted.

She turned to see him and descended from the branch she'd been sitting on. "How have you been, little one? I'm sorry I haven't had time to check on you."

Tyler thought for a moment and sighed. "I'm all right. How are you, Cora?"

"Well…" she paused. "I'm here to tell you that I won't be able to come back. My eggs are about to hatch, and I'm starting to remember how much work chicks are. I'll be needed there."

Tyler wasn't really surprised. "That's all right, Cora," he replied. He took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "I don't think anyone's coming back here. Not anymore. Pokémon stopped coming back weeks ago, so… I guess I'm the only one who got away." It took a lot for him to finally admit it aloud. He paused, gathering his courage again. "I don't think I'm going to stay either. It's not the same here without my family."

The pidgeotto nodded slowly, giving him a tender look. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, little one. I wish I could do more." She cocked her head. "So, where will you go now?"

"I'm going to look for them." Determination entered the eevee's voice. "I'm tired of waiting and doing nothing. I don't know where my family is, but at least I'm going to try to find them."

"Are you sure you'll be all right, little one?" Cora asked. "This forest is a pretty safe place. Especially here. If you leave, you'll run across a lot more Catchers. Not all of the pokémon are friendly either."

"Don't worry. I'll keep myself safe. Father and Mother taught us to defend ourselves and I've been practicing ever since I came back, and I've been following Father's patrol every day. I'm a lot stronger than I used to be." He said this to reassure himself as much as the pidgeotto; Tyler had never been outside the forest and he was worried – maybe even a little scared – of what he might find, or what might find him.

Cora still looked concerned. "Just… be careful. Don't get in a fight unless you have to, especially with Catchers. My first mate was really good at fighting, but that got him in trouble." She shook her head, a quick flicking movement. "That's what got him caught. Just stay away from them." The pidgeotto paused, eyes misting a bit. "Take care of yourself, all right, little one? I would hate it if anything happened to you."

Tyler nodded quietly. "I will. Thanks, Cora. I'll stay away from trouble. I just want to find my family."

"All right." Cora's voice was a little stronger. "If you're going out to look for them, there's a road – a Catcher path – out past the edge of the forest, that way." She pointed. "There's a group of Catchers that way, too. I don't know what's past it; that's just what you can see from the forest. It's… it's somewhere to start though."

Tyler nodded, trying to imagine what it would look like. "All right."

A wing swept over Tyler and pulled him close. "I'll miss you, little one," Cora whispered.

"Thanks, Cora," Tyler said again. "I won't forget you, I promise. And I'll keep myself safe." Tears were coming to his eyes as well.

Cora held him there for a long moment before letting him go. "Goodbye, little one. And good luck. Your family's lucky to have someone like you. I hope you can find them." She held his gaze for another moment, then turned to lift her wings and take off, winging through the space of the clearing until she reached the treetops. Tyler watched until she disappeared from view. The pidgeotto was the last link he really had to this place. His family was gone and he didn't have anyone else, and now Cora had to go to. It was time for him to leave. She had watched out for him, helped him find his way home. Now his life was going to change again.

Tyler thought about going then, but he decided it would be best to wait for the next day. He'd already gone around Father's circle that morning; starting tomorrow would let him rest so he could go as far as possible. And he didn't want to leave without sleeping one last night in the den where he had been born and raised.

Tyler spent the rest of the day anticipating the trip. He went back several times to look at the Catchers' trail. It had been mostly wiped out now, but the eevee had seen it enough times to know where it went. From what Cora had said, they had probably come from their road. Maybe even the Catcher place she'd mentioned. That would be the first place to look. In the moments when he was resting, Tyler's mind spun. It was a big step. The eevee was about to leave behind everything he was familiar with. _What's it going to be like?_ There would be more pokémon, like the nidoking, and probably others he'd never even heard of. More Catchers too, from what Cora said. He didn't know how far he'd have to go or what he'd find. Despite what he'd said to Cora, Tyler knew he would need to get stronger and better at keeping himself safe. He might even evolve.

That thought caught him off guard. Ever since the Catchers came, Tyler had almost forgotten about evolving. He still wasn't ready for it – he hadn't even thought about what he might want. The eevee started thinking about it and realized he still didn't know. Nothing really sounded right for him, and now that Father and Mother were gone there wasn't anyone to help him anyway. He didn't know much about evolving either, except that there was usually some kind of stone or some place he would have to go to. He didn't know where to find any of that. The same question nagged at him as before: _What if I evolve into something and it turns out to be the wrong choice?_ His evolution would shape the rest of his life, and it wasn't like he could go back and pick something else. Maybe he could just stay an eevee.

Between wondering where his family was, thinking about evolution and getting ready, and worrying about the journey he was about to start, Tyler was only too glad to fall asleep that night. He breathed in the familiar scents of his family; they were slowly fading, but he could still make out Father's scent like steam rising off sunbaked rocks in a sudden rain, Mother's clean leafy smell, and the mingled but individual scents of the four other eevee in his family. They weren't here, but he would find them. Somehow. Tyler sighed and closed his eyes. It still took him a while to go to sleep.

That night, he dreamed of running through the trees. He wasn't running away this time, but there was a purpose. Something important was ahead, he could feel it. The eevee followed a familiar scent through his dream, though he couldn't quite place it. The dream ended, but the feeling that something was waiting to be found remained.

The next morning, Tyler stayed curled up in the den a little longer than usual, reluctant to leave the place that had been his home for so long. He looked around, taking in the smooth brown walls with bits of fur – mostly brown – that stuck to them, the rougher ceiling above his head with roots poking through here and there, and the narrowing slope of the entrance. He still felt safest here. _I can't stay any more, though. It's time for me to do something._ He inhaled deeply, picking out the scents of his family one last time, seeing their faces in his mind. Then he rolled to his paws and stretched before heading out to drink from the stream.

After he had gotten a drink and found a bush to eat from, Tyler headed back to the clearing. That was where he would start, since he knew the direction the Catchers had gone from there. As he crossed the grass, Tyler's gaze fell on his family's den again. It felt wrong to leave it like that. After a few minutes' thought, the eevee went over and started dragging dead branches to cover the entrance. It wasn't much, but it might keep his home from being disturbed. Eventually he managed to cover it well enough that he couldn't really make out the hole behind the tangle of branches. He had to take a moment after that to pull stray twigs and leaves from his ruff before shaking it out again so it would fall into place.

Then everything was done. There wasn't anything left to keep him there; it was time to say goodbye to the life he'd known and the small world he'd grown up in. He took another long look around at the ragged circle of trees, the paths trampled through the grass. Even in that time he saw several pokémon, but he didn't want to talk to anyone now. _It's time to leave. I'm coming, family. I hope you're out there somewhere._

Tyler sighed, then crossed the clearing to where the Catchers' trail started. Looking back one last time, he could just make out the tangle of branches that marked the den, nearly hidden in the trees. He was sad to leave his home, but… it just wasn't the same without his family. _I'm going to find them_. He waited a moment more, saying a silent goodbye to his home; then the eevee shook himself, pushing his hesitation away and turning determinedly toward the forest. Tyler headed into the trees, following the last traces of the trampled path the Catchers had left.

 **Part I End**


	5. Leaving Home Behind (part II)

**Part II - Journey**

Tyler glanced up at the sun as he walked, measuring its path. It was still early in the afternoon, and he could go a long way. It was a bright summer day; he could hear the chirps of Pidgey and Spearow as they called to one another, and there were occasionally rustling noises in the underbrush, although nothing came out. All of the Pokémon were out of their holes and nests today.

After a short time, he passed the path he had patrolled so many times since he had come back, the path Father had marked out so long ago. It marked the edge of his world; apart from when he had run from the Catchers, he had never been beyond it. He stopped for a moment, then drew himself up and continued into the unknown.

As he walked on, he marveled a bit at how clear the Catchers' trail still was. Most Pokémon in the forest moved about quietly, trying not to be seen. The Catchers had come together, trampling a path through the forest, flattening the grass and shoving bushes aside. They obviously didn't worry about anything finding them. And why would they? They had their Pokémon.

The thought made him wonder, as he had a few times, why Pokémon would fight for the Catchers like that. Some of them, like the Arbok, Persian, and Nidoking the Catchers had brought that morning, seemed mean and predatory by nature. Maybe they didn't mind, as long as they got to fight things and take them down. But there had been other Catchers who had come out into the forest. Father and Mother had always warned Tyler and his siblings when they were coming, and they would hide in their den, or in the brush, while the Catchers passed through the clearing or forest. One of them had had a Pikachu with him. Pikachu weren't mean or vicious; why had that one been content to follow the Catcher around?

Tyler shook his head. There was just so much he didn't know about the world. Although, he thought, this journey was probably going to teach him.

His thoughts were interrupted by light streaming through the trees ahead of him. The forest was coming to an end. The road hadn't been very far from his home after all. He decided that made sense. The Catchers wouldn't have come too far into the forest – especially not so early in the morning, since they didn't live there. When he reached the edge of the forest, he stopped, worried about what might find him if he ventured out into the open like that. He listened and looked for a while, but nothing seemed to be around, and he couldn't see any Pokémon or Catchers, so he ventured into the clear area by the road. There weren't any trees, but the grass had grown up so that he couldn't see to the road. He hoped that meant nothing would be able to see him either.

He pushed through the grass until, a few feet from the road, it ended. Again, he stopped, worried that a Catcher might find him, but he didn't hear anything, so he stepped out of the grass and got his first look at the Catchers' road. His first thought was that it was like a large path, the earth packed down by passing Catchers into a smooth surface. It wasn't very wide either; Tyler could cross it in only a few moments. Grass still grew on the edges, thin and scraggly from being constantly walked on. He turned and looked down its length. To the right, it curved away out of sight, following the edge of the forest. Behind him, to the left, the road swerved around an outcropping of rock and was lost to view.

Tyler wondered which way he should go. The Catchers' trail was gone here, and he couldn't see anything that might give him a clue. As he stood there thinking, his ears picked up a whirring sound, and he dove back into the cover of the grass. The whirring grew louder, and a few seconds later, peering through the blades of grass, Tyler saw a Catcher whiz by on some metal thing. The Catcher showed no sign of having noticed him and sped on until it disappeared behind the rocks.

That was enough to decide him. Tyler didn't want to run into the Catcher, who might have stopped or turned around. He turned back and moved to the edge of the forest, where the ground was clear enough for him to walk more easily, and started following it to the right.

As he walked, he found himself wondering about his life. He had decided to go find his family, but he didn't know where they were or what he would do. He didn't know anything outside the forest. He wasn't even sure about himself. Tyler had always been told that Eevee were special because they alone had a choice of what they would become. Tyler knew that his time to change was less than a year away, but he still didn't know what he wanted to be. For his siblings and his parents, it had always been simple. What would he do? Tyler wasn't quick like Skylar, and he wasn't a brave protector like Carson. He didn't feel like there was anything really special or different about him, nothing that told him what to choose.

Another thought struck him. Where would he go? Father had said that they would go together to find a stone or go to the right place for him, but Father wasn't there to take him anymore.

He pushed those thoughts aside as the forest curved away to overlook a wide slope. At the bottom, there were a group of large, blocky things. Tyler could see that the road led to it. That must be where the Catchers lived. Maybe he could find his family there!

At the same time, though, he was worried. If the Catchers saw him, they would probably catch him too. Father and Mother had taught him to take care of himself, but they had a lot of Pokémon, and most of them were bigger than he was. It wasn't like the forest, where most of the Pokémon were about the same size. Anyway, there hadn't been a lot of fighting there. The Catchers had huge, strong Pokémon, like that Nidoking. He didn't want anyone to see him.

Tyler decided he would wait until it got dark to approach the Catchers' den. He was hungry and thirsty, anyway; he hadn't seen any berry bushes at the edge of the forest, though he could faintly hear the gurgling of a stream flowing over rocks back in the trees. Following his ears and nose, he turned back into the forest.

After pushing a short way through the undergrowth, Tyler found a path in the bushes. He followed it, noting that it had been made by a bigger Pokémon than him. He didn't want to get in any trouble, so he stayed alert, listening for anything that might be moving in the bushes or coming down the trail.

As he walked on, the sound of water grew stronger, and he soon found that the trail dipped down to a flat rock at the edge of the stream. He scrambled down and lapped gratefully at the water. He was startled by a rustling from behind and crouched, muscles tensed and ready to leap aside at a moment's notice, but several seconds passed and the rustling moved on. He kept drinking, alert for any sound or movement, but nothing emerged from the undergrowth.

Tyler finished drinking and continued on the path, still wary. It was dawning on him that he was completely unfamiliar with this area. After living and patrolling around him for the better part of the spring, he knew every tree and hole near their den, but here, anything could be hiding. Tyler was starting to feel alone in a different way. Before, he had worried for his family, but now he was acutely aware that there was no one around he could turn to if something were to happen. He wasn't sure if he liked this part of the forest either; the Pokémon around his den had generally kept to themselves, but here he hadn't seen anyone at all. It felt as if everyone was either afraid of him or waiting to pounce.

Tyler's stomach rumbled, reminding him that he still needed to find something to eat. He stopped and sniffed the air, and caught the scent of a berry bush not too far away. He followed the trail, thinking that it would lead him to the bushes. To his surprise, it continued away from the direction he could smell the berries in. After sniffing the air again, he couldn't pick up any other scent of food, so he pushed his way off the path and into the bushes. After a short distance, the underbrush gave way to relatively clear ground. He relaxed a bit, knowing that even though he was more exposed, he would also be able to see anything coming for him.

As he padded toward the bushes, a voice yowled out a challenge.

"Hey! You! What do you think you're doing?"

Tyler looked around in surprise, not seeing anyone, then he caught a movement in a nearby tree. There was a Pokémon up there, but he couldn't see what kind it was through the leaves and the lengthening shadows. As his gaze came to rest on it, it shouted at him again.

"Yes, you! What are you doing here?"

"I'm hungry," Tyler replied. "There's a berry bush over there."

"Yes, there is," the Pokémon, said, "but it's my bush. If you know what's good for you, you'll go look somewhere else."

"What makes it your bush?" Tyler asked, confused.

"Because I said so!" spat the Pokémon. "Take one more step and you'll find out what happens to little Eevee that come into my territory."

Staring up into the tree, Tyler had caught a few glimpses of his adversary. He was pretty sure by now that it wasn't a bird Pokémon, and it wasn't much bigger than he was. "Fine," he said. He was hungry and it had been a long day, and he didn't want to be pushed around. Father had taught them to face problems. He took a step forward, and a hissing, spitting shape leaped at him from above. He broke into a run and felt claws snag in his tail for a moment, then they were gone. He stopped and turned around, heart starting to beat harder, and got his first good look at his attacker. It was a Meowth. The cat Pokémon was a little larger than he was, but stood quite a bit taller because it was on two legs, clawed paws up and ready to strike. Meowth could be very bad-tempered, and this seemed to be one of them. Tyler stood there for a moment, sizing his opponent up. Father and Mother had trained their children a lot, but this was his first real fight, except for that moment with Skylar and the Persian.

The Meowth, on the other hand, attacked immediately, running at him to lash out with his claws. Tyler reflexively twisted to the side, ducking his head and closing his eyes. One clawed paw buried itself harmlessly in the thick mane of fur around Tyler's neck, but the other raked down his side, leaving burning lines of pain. Tyler cried out, rolling onto his side away from the attack, and kicked out blindly. He opened his eyes to see that the Meowth had leaped back to avoid being hit. It regarded him for a moment, tail swishing back and forth, waiting to see if he had had enough. Rolling to his paws again, heart pounding in his ears, Tyler tried to remember what Father had taught him. Balance. Father had talked a lot about balance. How could he get the Meowth off its paws?

Interrupting his thoughts, the Meowth rushed at him again. Instead of flinching away, Tyler stood firm, then threw himself forward and to the left just before it reached him. The Meowth's claws passed harmlessly by, and it let out a hiss of annoyance. Tyler knew he couldn't win by dodging, so he wheeled around and lunged forward. Tyler's move had put him behind the Meowth, and he caught it in the stomach with a solid tackle just as it turned around. He heard its grunt as the breath was knocked out of it, and it staggered back unsteadily and faced him again, glaring. Tyler stared straight back. He was still a little worried about winning the fight, but he wasn't afraid of the Meowth now. The Meowth, still trying to catch its breath, didn't attack him again immediately, and Tyler used the time to think.

Father had told them over and over again that since they weren't as large as most of the enemies they might come across, that they needed to be quicker and steadier. They had worked a lot on how to knock an opponent over or get to where they couldn't be attacked easily. Most of the time, though, they had trained against Father or Mother, and this Meowth fought differently.

In a flash of insight, he realized that the Meowth, though it could use its claws very effectively, stood on only two legs. If he could get just one leg out from under it, he could knock it over! Before the Meowth could come at him again, Tyler charged, aiming this time for its legs. The Meowth followed his gaze and anticipated him, leaping back, though it still seemed to be recovering its breath. Tyler kept coming, finally catching up to it and clamping his teeth around its leg. As the Meowth started scratching at his head and ears, Tyler rolled toward it, pushing its body away from the leg in his mouth and toppling it. Biting down, Tyler pulled back, dragging the Meowth along the ground and keeping its flailing paws from reaching him as it hissed and spat in pain and fury. Grunting with the effort, he backed into a bush, dragging the Meowth under the branches where it couldn't spring up and swipe at him. He released its leg and went for its tail, seizing it firmly as the Meowth tried to pull itself out of the bush with all four paws.

As he yanked on its tail, the Meowth yowled, a deafening caterwaul of pain. It stopped pulling away and turned, trying to get at him and free its tail. Tyler backed deeper in in response, flinching as a branch scraped across his injured side. He released the Meowth's tail, and it scrambled back. Tyler was tired and hurt now, and he was panting from the effort, but he knew he needed to finish things. Steeling himself, Tyler moved out of the dense branches and launched himself onto the Meowth, driving it down onto its back. Its claws came up, seeking his face, and he threw himself aside, catching its right paw in his teeth. Locked together, Tyler and the Meowth rolled once and then broke apart. As they scrambled to their paws and faced each other again, Tyler groaned. He had scratches on his head and forelegs now, though they weren't as long or deep as the ones in his left side. The Meowth looked even worse; its breathing was ragged, it held the paw Tyler had bitten in close to its body, and it was limping, using its good forepaw to help support its weight.

The Meowth glared at him. Tyler glared back, unafraid. "Get out of my way."

It looked at him a moment longer, then let its breath out in a hiss before drawing itself up again. "Pffft. You aren't worth it anyway." Turning its back on him, the Meowth raised its tail stiffly and tried to stalk away, limping out of sight on three legs.

Tyler let out a sigh. The fight had taken a lot out of him too. Before he went over to the berry bush, he sat down and checked his wounds. As he had thought, the scratch down his side was the worst. He lay down and licked it clean as well as he could occasionally spitting out grit that had stuck there during the fight, then turned to his forelegs. He had gotten quite a few scratches there from the Meowth's flailing claws when he landed on it, but they were all shallow. At least, it seemed, the Meowth kept its claws clean. The scratches on his head were the hardest to get to, but he rubbed a paw across them as well as he could. Tyler could clean himself in the river later; he was still hungry.

Tyler got back to his paws, wincing as his stiff side complained at the movement. He picked his way over to the berry bush and ate his fill. He had earned it. Then, rumbling stomach finally quieted, he turned back toward the stream. The fight had left him filthy, covered in dust with twigs and leaves stuck in his ruff and tail, and he didn't want his scratches to get worse. Still, he thought, he had just had his first real fight. And he had won!

Moving gingerly to keep twigs and branches from touching his left side, Tyler padded back through the brush and down the trail back to the stream. The cold water stung the scratches on his paws a bit, and he carefully lowered himself into the water, only gasping a little as water touched his cuts. He pulled the twigs that had caught in his fur out first, then carefully washed the rest of himself, being as gentle as he could with his scratches. Mother would have cleaned him like this. She had the gentlest paws he knew. Tyler felt a pang as he thought of her. He hoped that wherever they were, his family was safe. He wished he knew what was happening.

Tyler stayed there for a minute, then climbed back onto the bank. He was going to find them. They had to be somewhere. He shook the water out of his fur, ignoring the soreness as well as he could, and then trotted back up the bank and onto the path. He decided to go back and check on the Catchers' den; the breeze outside the forest would help dry him off, too.

As he followed the path again, Tyler kept his ears pricked for any sign of trouble, but nothing came, and he soon found the spot where he had pushed his way through the bushes when he had arrived. Lowering his head, he pushed his way back through, and found himself looking down the hill again at the Catchers' den. It was a warm evening, but the breeze felt good on his damp side. Tyler paused for a moment to enjoy it, stretching his neck out and letting the air ruffle his fur. The sun was dipping low in the sky, but it wasn't night yet; there was still a while before it got dark enough to sneak in close to the Catchers.

Retreating to the cover of the bushes, Tyler curled up to wait for darkness to fall. As he watched, the sun dipped lower and lower until it touched the horizon, and the Catchers' dens cast long shadows that came to an end at the base of the hill. He yawned involuntarily. It had been a long, full day, and the fallen leaves and twigs made the ground soft and comfortable for his sore muscles. As the sky darkened and stars started to appear, Tyler fell asleep.


	6. Unexpected Friend

Tyler was awakened by the trilling of a Spearow passing overhead, looking for food. He yawned and stretched under the bush, rolling onto his other side. Then it struck him. He had fallen asleep! His plan to visit the Catchers' den during the night was ruined. What could he do now?

One thing was for sure. Tyler didn't want to wait another day to look for his family there. He wanted to do _something_. Maybe he could get close to the Catchers during the day? He didn't want to do that, though. When the Catchers had come to the forest, he had barely gotten away from them. If they found him, they would probably catch him right there, and then he would never be able to find his family.

As he thought about it, he realized suddenly that he was hungry and thirsty. He got up and started heading for the stream again, shadows from the morning sun dappling the trail. As he lapped water from the stream, he was still preoccupied with thoughts of getting close to the den. He didn't know what else to do that day. As he left the stream and made for the berry bush he had fought the Meowth at the night before, he pricked his ears, waiting for it to return, but nothing challenged him and he ate, still trying to decide what to do.

After eating, Tyler headed back for the edge of the forest and the Catchers' den. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the sound of footfalls on the path until he came around a turn and found himself almost face to face with a Quilava. He cried out in surprise and jumped back, stumbling over his paws, then pushed into the bushes, trembling. The Quilava was more than twice his size, and though it didn't look very threatening, Tyler knew that they could blast fire from both their heads and tails at a moment's notice. He had seen one with a Catcher once, a long time ago, from the safety of a dense bush Mother had quickly hidden them in. If it came to a fight, Tyler wouldn't stand a chance.

After looking at him in surprise for a moment, it called, "Hey! Easy, there. I'm not going to hurt you."

Tyler willed his heart to stop pounding. After a few moments, he eased his way back out of the bush to where he could see the Quilava again, though he remained tense, ready to turn and run if anything happened. He was still frightened that it might attack him.

The Quilava waited for Tyler to reply, and when he didn't, it said, "Listen. It's all right. My name is Ryan. What's yours?"

Feeling ashamed at how quickly he had run away, Tyler firmly straightened up. "I'm Tyler," he said. "I'm sorry I was using your path."

The Quilava – Ryan – shook his head. "It's not mine," he said. "I wouldn't mind anyway. I actually live out in the grassland most of the time; I only came here because the stream I live by is low this year."

Tyler was confused for a moment. "I didn't know you needed water. You're a Fire type."

"Of course I drink water. Everything does." Ryan tilted his head to the side, considering. "Well, almost everything, anyway."

"Oh." Now that he thought about it, Tyler remembered that Father drank water too. It just hadn't occurred to him that it was the same for other Fire Pokémon. After all, he was Father.

"So then," Ryan asked, "Where did you come from? I'd never seen you before last night."

"You saw me last night?"

"I did." Ryan glanced back into the forest and continued. "I get around a lot, so I know a lot of the Pokémon around here, or at least, I've seen most of them. I was passing through here and I heard something going on over there."

"Well, I decided to see what was up. I found where you left the path, so I pushed through, and I saw you fighting that Meowth." He looked at Tyler. "You're not bad, you know."

Tyler ducked his head, suddenly embarrassed. "Thanks."

"That Meowth is a bit of a bully. He showed up a few weeks ago and tried to claim that whole area."

"Why?" asked Tyler.

"I don't really know," responded Ryan. I've seen him a few times, terrorizing some smaller Pokémon, but when I went over, he never showed his face. I guess he didn't want to risk losing. I think you surprised him – he must have thought you were an easy target." He looked back at Tyler. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Father taught me," Tyler replied. "He was really strong."

" _Was?_ " Ryan echoed, his small ears pricking up. "Isn't your family around somewhere? You're pretty young to be out on your own."

"No." Tyler sighed. "The Catchers got them, and I'm trying to find them." He looked up at Ryan. "Do you live out there by the Catchers' den?"

Ryan looked back at him curiously. "Den? Oh – the _town_." Seeing Tyler's confusion, he added, "That's what it's called, a town." He paused. "And no, I don't live very close to it, but I've gotten close a couple of times. Why?"

"I thought it would be a good place to look for my family. It's the first den – no – sorry, what did you call it again?"

"A town," Ryan replied.

"Right. It's the first _town_ I've seen. I was going to go look last night, but… well… I fell asleep." Tyler hung his head.

Ryan looked away for a minute apparently lost in thought. "How will you find them if they are there? Catchers put Pokémon in balls, so they won't be anywhere you can see them."

Tyler was at a loss for a moment. He hadn't thought of that. "I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe I'll be able to catch their scent. Or the Catchers'."

"There are a lot of Catchers there," Ryan reminded him.

"But they don't all smell the same," Tyler said defensively.

"And what will you do if you can't find them or smell them anywhere?" Ryan pressed.

Tyler sat back for a moment. "I guess… I'll find somewhere else and look there." He hadn't given it much thought; he didn't know what he would find in the den – the town, let alone how he would find his family there. "I don't want to give up, though. They would come for me if they could." He looked up at Ryan. "Can you help me?"

Ryan looked away for a long moment, lost in thought. Finally, he turned back to Tyler and sighed. "I can help you get close Maybe even go into the town with you. But they have lights there, even at night. It will be hard to get around without being seen. I'll help you, but we're not going to do anything to risk being caught."

Tyler brightened. "Thank you! When can we go?"

"You were right about that," Ryan responded, "night is the best time to go. We'll wait until then." He looked up at the sun. "We have all day, though, so there are some things I'd like to know before we go anywhere."

As the day went on, they ate and moved out onto the grassland. Tyler was a little worried about being out and exposed. He had always lived in a forest, where he was never far from a bush or shrub to hide in. Ryan, though, seemed completely unconcerned. He had an easy, relaxed air about him that awed Tyler a little; ever since the morning the Catchers came, he felt like he had been watching over one shoulder for anything that might threaten him. He had lost the feeling of security his parents had always given him.

As they walked, Tyler watched and listened. Clouds drifted across the sky, often blocking the sun. He occasionally saw other Pokémon – a few large, horned, four-legged ones on four legs Ryan identified as Tauros, a hunting Scyther making its way over a hill, and a few others. As they got closer to the town, though, Tyler stopped seeing others. Maybe they just stayed away from the town, or maybe the Catchers had gotten all of the Pokémon that lived nearby.

Tyler and Ryan talked as they trotted through the grass. Ryan had a lot of questions for him. Where had he come from? How far had he traveled? How did his whole family get captured at once? How did Tyler get away? How old was he? Had that been his first fight? Tyler told him everything he remembered. He had questions for Ryan as well; maybe he knew something about where to find the Catchers. It turned out that Ryan hadn't seen many Catchers, and had only tangled with them once. He was about four years old, and few things in the area could take him on. He said his parents were still around, but he rarely saw them. Tyler asked him how they would get into the town, and Ryan said they should stay in the shadows and avoid the lit areas. After a while, the conversation turned back to Tyler's fight with the Meowth.

"What were you trying to do? I mean, how were you planning to take it down?" Ryan asked him.

"Get it off balance," Tyler said. "That's what Father taught us to do."

Ryan nodded to himself, seemingly lost in thought for a moment, then asked, "Can you use energy?"

"What?" Tyler asked in confusion. The question made no sense to him.

"Energy …Haven't you heard of it?"

Tyler thought back. Mother and Father had used the word a few times, but he didn't know what it meant, except for just having energy to get through the day. He shook his head. "I don't know. I think Mother and Father talked about it once or twice. Why? What is it?"

"Well," Ryan began slowly, "you learned to fight by getting opponents off balance and keeping them where they can't hurt you. That worked pretty well against that Meowth. But there are a lot of opponents you won't be able to beat that way. You need more than that."

Tyler didn't understand what Ryan was getting at. "But what _is_ energy?"

"Basically, it's what Pokémon use for special moves. It's how I can breathe fire."

"But I don't have an element like that," Tyler pointed out. "I don't have anything yet."

"No, but you still have energy," Ryan explained. "Even if you can't use it for fire or anything like that yet, you _can_ use it to make yourself stronger or faster for a moment, so you can hit harder – or take a hit yourself. Forget knocking that Meowth off balance – even at your size, you could send it flying."

"Really? Wow." Tyler was silent for a minute, wondering at this power Ryan said he could use. "Can you teach me how?"

"I… Not really." Ryan shook his head. "I know how I use it, but I don't know how to explain it to someone else."

Tyler stopped, crestfallen. Ryan came to a halt too, and put a reassuring paw on his shoulder. "Don't worry. It's already part of who you are. You just have to find it." He started moving toward the town again, and Tyler followed. "It'll be easier to see when you have an element, I guess. But that doesn't mean you can't use it now." He stared at Tyler for a long moment, then shook his head and moved away. "Come on."

Tyler wondered what was going on. "Is everything all right?"

Ryan hesitated. "Yeah…"

Tyler didn't believe him. "Then why did you look at me like that?"

"Well…" Ryan was silent for a while. "Honestly, you remind me a little of my brother. He always used to talk about this stuff."

"You have a brother?" Tyler wondered out loud.

"Well, I used to. But an old Catcher came once, when my parents were hunting – about a year ago. We were both Cyndaquil back then, and I was the only one who got away."

Tyler looked down. "Just like me."

Ryan nodded. "Leo was a fighter. He tried to take the Catcher's Pokémon on. I ran and hid. Maybe if I'd helped, things would have gone differently." A tear formed in Ryan's eye, but he shook it away. "So I guess that's why I decided to help you."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Tyler offered. He wasn't sure what else to say.

Ryan heaved a sigh. "It's all right, it's in the past now. Besides… Catchers aren't the end of the world. Leo has to be out there somewhere. I often wonder where he is."

Tyler didn't say anything more, but he was secretly glad he had met Ryan. He had felt like no one would ever understand a little Eevee with no family, but Ryan had been through almost the same thing.

They crested a hill, and Ryan stopped again. "All right," he announced, "this is as close as I want to get to the town in the daytime. But we can see it pretty well from here."

He was right. The town, just a few hundred meters away, appeared much bigger than it had from off in the distance. He could see the Catchers' huge dens, and the road that he had followed disappeared between two of them. The dens were different colors, but they all had a blocky look to them. Just then, a Catcher moved into view from behind one of the larger dens. Tyler gasped and scrambled back, crouching down into the grass. Ryan didn't move from where he stood, gazing at the Catcher without fear. "It's all right," he said, turning to Tyler. "I don't think she's looking for Pokémon."

Tyler slowly crept back up to the hilltop. "Sorry," he said, looking up at Ryan. "I'm scared of Catchers."

Ryan smiled reassuringly. "I don't blame you, after getting chased from your den like that. But usually Catchers don't do that." His gaze went distant. "In fact, I don't think I've _ever_ heard of them doing that." He turned back to the Catcher, who was now doing something with the plants that grew behind her den. Tyler thought she might be taking care of them like Mother did.

"So what do we do now?" Tyler asked him.

"Now we wait," Ryan responded confidently. "I can't tell which way to get in until it gets darker and the lights come on."

"But there are still hours until sunset!" Tyler complained.

Ryan fixed him with a look. "You're the one who wants to get in there, remember? This wasn't my idea. _You_ asked _me_ to help _you_."

Chastened, Tyler dropped his gaze. "Sorry."

"It's all right." Ryan sighed. "It wasn't fair of me anyway – I'd like to find something out there, too. Anyway, if we have a few hours, what do you think we should do to get ready?" he prodded.

"Ummm… I guess we need to find something to eat and drink. And get ready?"

"Get ready, how?"

Tyler cast about for an idea. He didn't really know how to prepare for sneaking around Catchers' dens. "I don't know. Maybe… we could train? Or something?"

Ryan shook his head, smiling a bit. "It's a little too late to train for it now. Waiting can be the hardest part-"

"It's really hard!" Tyler exclaimed before he could stop himself, eyes wide. "I want to _do_ something!"

"-But you're right, we do need to find something to eat before evening. Follow me," Ryan finished. His smile was larger now.

He led them away from the town, back into the grassland. Ryan moved with an easy familiarity, and Tyler wondered if this was his home. Ryan had said he lived on the grasslands. Their path wound between small hills and around the occasional shrub, until Ryan stopped in a spot that looked the same as everything else Tyler had seen. He nodded to himself, apparently satisfied. "Here they are."

"Here _what_ are?" Tyler asked.

"Food."

"I don't see any bushes," Tyler replied, confused.

Ryan chuckled. "Berry bushes are mostly in the forest. Out here, we have to find other things." Ryan pointed with a paw. "We can dig up these plants. The roots are good to eat."

"Which ones?" Tyler asked him.

"These," Ryan answered, indicating a short plant with larger leaves and a darker color than the grass around it. Tyler moved up to it and sniffed. It smelled all right, he thought. He looked over at Ryan, who was already scratching at the earth around another of the plants. Tyler looked back at his plant and started digging too. After a few minutes, most of a root could be seen in hole, and Tyler's forelegs were filthy. He dug a little further down around the sides, then stuck his head into the hole and set his teeth into the root. Planting his forepaws on either side of the hole, he tugged it free. The root was larger than he had expected for such a small plant, and he nearly fell when it came free of the ground. Dropping it on the ground for a moment, Tyler sat back and shook out the dirt that had stuck in his fur, looking around. Ryan was already laying a short way off, holding his root down with one paw and gnawing on it. Disappointed that Ryan had dug his root out so much faster, Tyler quickly scampered over and stretched out on the ground to eat.

Tyler was a little worried about how his root would taste. He was used to the taste of the forest berries, and looking at the root, he worried that it would taste more like leaves. After staring at it for a moment, he opened his mouth and bit into it. The root wasn't sweet, but it didn't taste as bad as he had feared. It had a kind of crisp, watery taste that combined with the earth that clung to it. It took him longer than he had expected to finish it, since it was hard to bite through, but when it was finally gone, Tyler was surprised to find that he was completely full.

Tyler sat up again. Ryan was looking at him, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "So, what do you think? I'll bet you haven't eaten anything like that before."

Tyler shook his head. "What do we do now?"

"Now, we wait." Ryan's earlier annoyance seemed to have vanished. "Or you could dig up another one. It might be dark when you finish eating."

"I wasn't that slow!" Tyler retorted defensively.

Ryan chuckled a little. "Actually, with your size, I'm surprised you managed to eat a whole root." His tone became a little more serious. "Don't worry, though. The sun's on its way down now, and I think the Catchers' lights go on before it gets really dark. We don't have long to wait."

"Okay." Tyler sighed, then settled down in a patch of grass, watching the shadows of the plants slowly lengthen as the day came to an end.


	7. Into Town

The sun had just slipped below the hills and light was just fade from the sky when lights appeared in the Catchers' town. "Look!" Tyler exclaimed, scrambling to his paws.

"I see them," Ryan responded. He got up unhurriedly, eyes flicking back and forth to the different lights that had appeared.

Tyler watched him impatiently. "Let's go!" After a long day of waiting and anticipating, he was almost ready to take off running. Ryan's next words stopped him.

"We need to be careful. Remember, this is where the Catchers _live_. I know you want to see what's going on in there," he added, throwing a glance at Tyler, "but I want to come _back_ , too."

"Sorry," replied Tyler, his gaze falling to his paws. Ryan was right. "It's just been a long time." Tyler wasn't only thinking about that day.

"It's all right," Ryan said. "Let's put that energy to use, though. We need to circle around the town and find a way in."

"What?" Tyler asked. "Oh – right." The mention of 'energy' had distracted him for a moment, until he realized that Ryan hadn't been referring to the power he had mentioned earlier. "Okay… what do we look for?"

"Shadows. We need to find a way in where no one will see us."

Ryan led Tyler to the right, circling around the town. They kept a safe distance, but it was still closer than Tyler had ever been, and he couldn't help staring, trying to make out everything he could. A few times, Tyler saw dark gaps between the dens, but Ryan pointed out the light behind them, explaining that it wouldn't do any good unless they could safely come out the other side. They reached the road with no success, crossing it cautiously. Tyler noticed a line of lights over the road that continued into the town. How did the Catchers make lights like that?

Behind the town, on the far side of the road, the land stretched off into a line of hills as far as Tyler could make out. Tyler and Ryan continued circling around until Tyler spotted a break in the regular pattern of lights. "Look!" he exclaimed. "There's no light there."

Ryan took a moment to find the spot, but after a short pause, he nodded. "Let's try it."

They waited, Tyler a little impatiently, for the light to go out of the sky, then made their way across the grass to the darkened town. "Remember," said Ryan, "Be careful. Listen. Your hearing's better than mine, so you'll probably hear Catchers before we see them."

Tyler nodded, not speaking. Now that they were actually going in, he was worried. It was one thing to make plans to investigate a Catcher town when they were far away, but now it was right in front of him, and he had no idea what he would find inside. He hoped for some sign of his family, but there were also Catchers, roads, strange lights, and giant, unfamiliar dens. Everything was so _big_.

"Are you all right?" Tyler turned to see Ryan watching him. "We don't have to go in, you know."

"I know. I'm kind of scared to. But… I want to find my family, too." Tyler closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his courage. "Let's do it."

Ryan nodded. "Follow me, then."

It wasn't the darkest of nights; a crescent moon still left the world bathed in a faint light. Tyler and Ryan approached the first den, darting between the bushes that surrounded it. Warm light streamed out through holes in the walls, casting a glow over the area. Tyler wondered again at where all of this light came from and stopped, narrowing his eyes to peer inside. A Catcher passed by the hole and he flinched back behind a bush.

"Careful!" Ryan hissed at him. He seemed on edge too.

"I am being careful!" Tyler said. I just want to see!" Still, he moved back into the shadow and followed Ryan as they made their furtive way to a space between the den and the one next to it. There was some kind of fencing between them, but it was full of wide gaps and the quilava and qevee easily slipped underneath. Coming out the other side, Tyler took his first step inside a Catcher town. He wasn't sure what to expect, so he stared around at everything. The first thing he noticed was that the grass underpaw was shorter than he had ever seen before. It wouldn't be any good for hiding in, but Tyler decided he liked how it felt. He could make out a path trampled into the grass that led to the den. That was probably where the Catchers went in and out, though there wasn't any opening there that he could see – just a large rectangle on the wall. A road passed in front of the dens, and Tyler could see more on the other side in the waning light. There were more of the Catchers' lights in the air in both directions, but they were a fair distance away still.

Tyler padded forward, aware of Ryan following a short distance behind, gaze darting back and forth. He cocked his ears forward, then back, but couldn't hear anything. Still, he remembered Ryan's warning and stayed alert for any sound that might signal trouble.

Most of the Catchers' dens were surrounded by grass and small plants. There were occasional bushes, and the odd lone tree could be seen near several of the dens, but what Tyler saw the most of were flowers. It seemed that there were some in front of every den, colors muted but still visible in the Catchers' lights. He wondered where they all came from; he never saw that many flowers together, except for the bushes Mother tended, which always seemed to be in bloom.

Before reaching the road, Tyler came across a tall, straight, black pole in the ground that looked a little like a tree with no limbs or leaves. This was stranger than anything else he had come across. He circled around it warily, then came close and tentatively put his right paw on it. Nothing happened. The pole was hard like stone, though it didn't look or feel like any kind of stone Tyler had ever seen. He looked around to see Ryan, who was looking on.

"What do you think it is?"

"I think that stuff is called metal."

"No, but what _is_ it?" Tyler wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Ryan said, sounding a little annoyed. "That's not really why we're here, though, is it?"

Right. Tyler looked around again, wondering where to start looking for his family. He took a long sniff of the dying breeze, but nothing jumped out at him, except that there were lots of Catchers around, which he already knew. He didn't recognize any of their scents from the forest. There were scents of pokémon too, but they were few and many of them were unfamiliar. A sound overhead startled him into crouching defensively, but it was only a straggling pidgeotto overhead, returning to its nest. Where to go? After looking around for a while, he came to a decision. "I don't smell anything here. Let's keep moving. Maybe there will be something different further in."

"You don't smell anything different?" Ryan asked.

"Well… I can smell Catchers, and flowers, and the roads, and a few pokémon. But no other eevee. There are some other smells, but they're really strange. I think they're from some kind of Catcher stuff."

"What pokémon can you smell here?" Ryan pressed.

Tyler inhaled again, sorting through the different scents. "Well, there's pidgey, a little… and a lot of rattata. Mostly those two. I think I can smell some grass Pokémon, but I don't think they're here anymore. All of the other ones are really weak. Probably outside town. And us."

"You're sure it's just us, and there aren't any other other quilava, and eevee, around?"

Now it was Tyler's turn to be annoyed. "I'm sure. I can tell the difference, you know."

Ryan sighed. "I'm sorry. I was just hoping… Never mind. Let's just keep moving."

They crossed the road and slipped between two more dens. Coming out the other side, they emerged into a rocky area. More dens waited at the other side. Tyler sighed. This wasn't getting them anywhere; all they had found were dark dens. The Catchers – and anything they might learn from seeing them – were inside. "I think we need to see what's in their dens."

"I don't like it," Ryan responded, "but I think you're right. I don't see anything useful out here."

Moving on, they passed between two more dens, both completely dark. Tyler tried climbing up to one of the holes, but it was blocked by some kind of hard stuff. It was clear, like water, but in the darkness it was impossible to make anything out inside the den, so they kept going. On the other side, they found more of the lights dotted around a large open area with trees here and there. The space was dominated by a large, brightly lit red den and another den that was even wider, but lower and flatter. A few of the holes on this one were lit, but others were dark. This was different from the other dens they had seen, which seemed to be either all lit or all dark. "What do you think?" Tyler asked.

"I don't like the look of that red den," Ryan said. "It's too bright. If we go there we'll be seen for sure. Let's try the other one."

After debating for a while, they decided to go straight across the open space, slinking between the shadows of the trees instead of going around and having to pass in front of every single den. There was a light directly in front of them, up in the air – no, at the top of another of the strange poles – and they passed it at a run, diving behind the first tree. They crouched there in silence for almost half a minute, waiting for some sound or sign that they had been noticed. Tyler's heart was racing. Everything stayed quiet, though, so they moved on cautiously from tree to tree, slinking through the shadows and darting across lit gaps. The constant listening, expecting Catchers to burst out and attack, was wearing on Tyler's nerves. They made it across safely, but he found himself shivering a bit when he tried to catch his breath. They were right up against the wide den, crouched in the sparse cover of the flowers with a darkened hole right above them. Hopefully that meant there were no Catchers on the other side.

Tyler broke the silence with a whisper. "I can smell something different over here. Another pokémon."

Ryan looked over. "What kind?"

"I'm not sure. It smells a little like you."

Ryan's ears pricked up. "A typhlosion?"

"I don't know. I've never seen a typhlosion before. Maybe?" Tyler hoped Ryan wouldn't be annoyed again.

To his relief, Ryan nodded. "All right. We've _definitely_ got to see what's in this den."

After a minute, it became clear that nothing was coming, so they started picking their way furtively around the den. When they reached the corner, Tyler was somewhat relieved to see the forest in the distance. They had passed all the way through the town! Moving on, they saw a hole with light shining through it. Tyler went to climb up and peer in, but Ryan held him back.

"Sorry, not this time," he said. "I'll be harder to see looking in, since my head is darker. And your ears stick up pretty far."

Tyler folded his ears back as far as they would go, but after a moment he had to admit Ryan had a point. "Okay."

Ryan padded up to the hole and reared up, looking inside and blinking. "What's in there?" Tyler whispered excitedly.

"Wow, that's bright. Give me a moment. Okay. There's a bunch of stuff in here. Catcher stuff. I don't really know what any of it is. But there are lots of little lights. Wait… I think there's a Catcher in there too. I can't quite see from here…" He craned his head, shuffling to the side. "There is. It's a…" Ryan suddenly stiffened. " _It's him._ "

"Him who?" Tyler asked. He wondered if he was supposed to know.

"The old Catcher. The one who took Leo." Ryan was visibly agitated now; sparks were flying from his head and tail, threatening to flare up into a signal that the Catchers wouldn't miss.

"Calm down!" Tyler whispered worriedly at him. "You're sparking, he'll see!"

Ryan looked surprised for a moment, then dropped back onto all fours. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and the sparks subsided. "Sorry. I just… wasn't expecting that." He took another breath, and when he spoke again, his voice was ragged. "I thought… I'd gotten over missing Leo… but seeing him again brought it all back."

Tyler was listening at first, but then another sound caught his attention, a muffled, rhythmic thump. It took him a moment to identify it, but when he did, he gasped. "Quick! He's coming! He must have seen you!"

Ryan caught his breath, cutting off in midsentence, but remained crouched where he was, as if unsure where to go. Tyler just knew they had to get out of sight. He turned instinctively toward the forest. "Come on!" he shouted in panic, already breaking into a run.

Ryan suddenly seemed to wake up and took off too, quickly catching up with Tyler. "Around the corner," he hissed. "Quietly!" Tyler did as he said, and they both crouched in the shadow cast by the den. Tyler peeked back around the corner, taking care to fold his ears back. There was a sliding sound, and then the old Catcher's head poked out of the hole. Tyler froze, not daring to do anything that might alert the Catcher to where they were. The Catcher looked out across the space between the dens, then turned his gaze to the ground where they had been standing moments before. What if he saw their tracks?

The Catcher kept looking around, his gaze sliding across grass and flowers. At one point, he looked right were Tyler was. After a tense moment, the Catcher looked away. After staring around at the area again, the Catcher gave a satisfied grunt and withdrew his head. There was another sliding sound, a few more footsteps, far fainter from this distance, then silence. Tyler finally relaxed from his stiff position. "That was close!" he whispered.

Ryan nodded, then turned away from the old Catcher's den, back to the forest. "Come on. I think we've seen enough."


	8. One Last Surprise

As the pair walked away from the Catcher's den, Tyler's breathing calmed and his heart slowed. He was a little sore from holding his frozen posture so long. As the adrenaline started to fade, he realized that his injured side was also starting to throb with pain again. It was the first time he had done anything strenuous since his fight with the Meowth – the night before. Had it been so recent? So much had happened since then, Tyler had almost forgotten all about it.

"Look," Ryan said quietly, interrupting his thoughts. "There's a path of some kind over here. I wonder where it goes?"

Tyler took a moment to focus on Ryan's words. "Maybe it's how they get to the forest?"

Ryan paused for a moment, obviously in thought. "Well, there's only one way to find out. Anyway, it'll be easier than pushing through the grass." Tyler nodded, and they walked on, following the path. It ended sooner than they expected, a short way from the old Catcher's den, with another length of fencing. Unlike the wood fences inside the town, this was made of some tough, flexible material, with so many holes it was a little hard to see. Looking through the fence, Tyler could see that the grass had been trampled into paths here and there. Something lived on the other side. He could also see a number of objects in the moonlight that looked like smaller versions of the Catcher's dens, all flat sides and sharp corners. There wasn't any way under or over it, so Tyler and Ryan started to the right, padding through the lengthening grass.

An answering swish in the grass froze him. Ryan stopped as well, instantly sensing something wrong, and crouched next to him. "What is it?" he breathed into Tyler's ear.

"I don't know," Tyler whispered. "I can't smell anything new here. Maybe it's the other Pokémon?"

"Catchers?"

Tyler shook his head. "I can't smell any."

Beside him, Ryan relaxed a little. "All right then. I'm going to see what it is." He pushed through the grass until he reached the fence. Silence for a moment, then Tyler heard him catch his breath. "-It's all right, it's not a Catcher," he said. "You can come see."

Tyler wondered what was going on, but when he joined Ryan in front of the fence, he got his answer. A Cyndaquil crouched on the other side, looking like a miniature version of Ryan – which, Tyler realized, it basically was. Tyler's eyes widened in understanding. _That's_ what the new smell had been, and why it was similar to Ryan's. Tyler just stared for a moment, wondering what to say. The Cyndaquil seemed even younger than he was, so after a moment he said, "Hello, there," like Mother used to do when they met small Pokémon.

The Cyndaquil looked at him shyly. "Hi. Who are you?"

Ryan answered him. "I'm Ryan, and this is Tyler. He's an Eevee."

"Oh. Okay."

"What's your name?" Ryan asked.

It looked at him. "Everyone calls me Sparky, but my _real_ name is Aries." Ryan blinked at this statement, and Aries paused, as if gathering his courage. "What are you doing out here alone?"

"Alone?" Tyler asked in surprise. "We're together."

"Yes, but… where are your humans?"

Tyler was confused. "Humans?"

"Catchers," Ryan filled in for him.

Tyler's eyes widened. "OH." Suddenly he understood. "Have you lived here your whole life?" Aries nodded. "Well, we don't live in towns. I live out in the forest, and Ryan sometimes does too," he explained, feeling very grown up.

Now it was the Cyndaquil's turn to stare at them in sudden comprehension. "So… you're _wild_ Pokémon?"

"That's right," Tyler responded with a smile.

"Wow!" Aries exclaimed. "What's it like out there?"

Ryan laughed at the little Cyndaquil's excitement. "Come with us and see for yourself!"

To their surprise, Aries shook his head. "I can't. I don't think I want to." He took a deep breath. "Oak is nice to me. He says when I'm a little older I'll go off with a trainer. Like Father."

Ryan looked downcast, but at Aries's last words, he looked at him sharply. " _Aries_ …" He paused, considering the name. "Is your father Leo?"

The little Cyndaquil's eyes widened again. "Yes, it is! How did you know that?"

"He's…" Ryan stopped, taking a deep breath. "He's my brother." He paused again. "I guess I learned what I came to find out." He shook his head a little, as if trying to rid himself of a fly.

"Your brother? You mean we're related? That's amazing!" said Aries excitedly. "He's _really_ strong!"

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Tyler asked one more time.

"I'm sure. If I leave, Oak will worry about me."

Ryan looked down again, clearly disappointed. "All right, then. I'm sorry to hear that, but… Come on," he added, directing his words at Tyler. "We have to get moving again."

They walked on, reaching a corner of the fence and finally having a straight line back to the forest. Aries followed them as far as the fence would allow, and then waited at the far corner, but Ryan didn't look at him much. As they crested a hill, Tyler looked back before the town fell out of sight behind it and could just make out the little Cyndaquil, still there, in the moonlight.

"I wonder why he wants to stay," Tyler said, thinking aloud. He looked over and was surprised to see tears in Ryan's eyes.

"I don't know," Ryan responded after a while. "Have you ever wondered… why you never hear about Pokémon running away from their Catchers?"

"Yes."

"It's almost like they give up – once they're caught they just stop trying to escape. To be free." Ryan paused, then went on. "Maybe life is just easier that way, and they don't want to have to go back to fending for themselves. Or maybe some of them, like Aries back there, don't even understand what freedom is."

Tyler felt like he should say something, but didn't know what. Ryan pressed on. "I just never thought Leo would be like that. He was a fighter. And now… he has a family that he doesn't even get to be with, because he goes with his Catcher. I never thought that could happen." He shook his head. "I hope it never happens to me."

"Me neither," Tyler agreed, though he was really thinking about his family. Would they give up like that? He hoped not.

They traveled on in silence. By now, they were about halfway back to the forest's edge, but Tyler was starting to fall behind, favoring his side, which was becoming more painful as he pushed himself harder.

Ryan looked back. "Are you all right?"

"My side hurts." Tyler was breathing hard, and he found it hard to get all the words out at once. "Where the Meowth got me. I don't think it's bad, but… it's getting harder to keep up."

Ryan stopped immediately. "I'm sorry. I should have thought… anyway, it's way too late, and you need your rest." He chuckled ruefully. "I need _my_ rest. We can get back to the forest in the morning."

Tyler agreed wearily, and Ryan led the way to a large shrub. Tyler gratefully started to crawl under it, but Ryan held him back. "Is anyone there?" he asked, igniting his crest and tail into a small blaze. After walking in darkness for so long, the firelight was blinding. There was no sound or movement from the shrub, and Ryan nodded, satisfied. "All right, I think it's safe."

He extinguished his flames, and the two moved into the safety of the leaves. Ryan lay down. Tyler found a hollow sheltered by a branch and stretched, his throbbing side welcoming the sensation. After licking the wounds again, he curled into a ball. The pain kept him awake for a few moments, but it started to subside as he relaxed and he quickly fell asleep.

When Tyler woke the next day, the sun was already climbing toward its peak. All of his soreness was gone again, but he was very hungry and thirsty. Ryan was a short distance away, padding toward him with a few roots dangling from his mouth. As Tyler pulled himself out from under the shrub where they had slept, Ryan looked up and, dropping the roots, said, "Oh good, you're awake."

Tyler nodded, then yawned before he could catch himself. "Mostly awake."

"I woke up a little earlier, so I decided to get something to eat. I thought you might be hungry too."

Tyler nodded again. "I'm starving!"

"Well, here you go." Ryan pushed a root over to him. They ate, Tyler gnawing on it as quickly as he could, determined to prove he didn't eat slow. Ryan didn't seem to notice, though, and so after a few minutes he fell to a more normal pace. The root filled him up, like the night before, but didn't do anything for his thirst.

Once he had finished, he asked, "Can we get something to drink?"

Ryan shook his head. "Not around here," he answered. "I told you yesterday, the streams out here are really low this year. Mostly we'll just find mud, so we'll have to get back to the stream in the forest."

Tyler groaned. There was still a fair distance to go, and he was already really thirsty.

"Come on, we need to get moving. Consider it a survival lesson, though – always make sure you can get to water. If you can't find any but other things live there, find out how _they_ get to water."

Tyler suddenly became worried. "What if…"

"Easy, there," Ryan interrupted him. "You're not going to die of thirst. That takes _days_ , and we drank yesterday." He put a reassuring paw on Tyler's shoulder. "You'll be fine."

They set off toward the forest. It was a hot summer day, which didn't help, and Tyler soon found himself panting both for breath and to keep himself cool. Ryan kept a steady pace, apparently unaffected. Tyler wondered if it was because he was a Fire Pokémon, or because he was just bigger and stronger.

By noon, they had nearly reached the forest, but Tyler was feeling tired and parched, and he started falling behind again. Ryan stopped and turned to him. "Are you all right?"

"I don't know. It's really hot, and I'm getting tired."

Ryan looked around in surprise. "I guess I hadn't noticed. Heat doesn't bother me, and anyway, it's always like this out on the grassland – no shade anywhere." He looked down for a moment and sighed. "Sorry. I should have realized this would be a harder trip for you. I'm just not that used to forest life. Here. I can carry you, at least until we reach the shade." He turned, offering his back, and Tyler gratefully climbed on. Ryan set off again, moving a little more slowly under the Eevee's weight.

Riding on Ryan's back was a lot easier than walking, but the Quilava's body was almost as warm as the sun's heat, and it made Tyler feel even more tired than before. He didn't complain, though. Every step brought them closer to the shade of the forest, and to water. He made himself a silent promise not to be caught without water _ever again_.

When they reached the cover of the forest, Tyler sighed with relief. The beating sun had left him exhausted; everything was too hot. He slipped off Ryan's back to get away from the fire Pokémon's heat as well, and Ryan turned to him. "Ready to walk again, then?"

"Not yet," Tyler panted. "I need to… lay down… cool off… for a minute." He lay in the shade, on cool ground for a change, and he was already starting to feel a little better.

"Sorry," Ryan said again. "With all your fur, and how small you are… It was stupid of me. I should have realized…" He gave a frustrated sigh. "It was a dumb idea, going all the way out to the town like that."

By now, Tyler was starting to breathe more normally, though he still felt hot and dry all over. "No… I wanted to go too. I _had_ to. The Catchers have my family." Somehow, saying it out loud made Tyler feel older, more responsible, and his hope of someday finding his family grew into determination. He wasn't going to give up. Tyler still felt exhausted, but he struggled to his paws. "I'm ready now."

As they moved deeper into the trees, Tyler began hearing the welcome gurgling of the stream up ahead. Despite his exhaustion, the sound of water gave him new energy, and he started moving faster. They quickly reached the part of the path that dipped down to the water, and Tyler plunged right in, wanting nothing more in that moment than to be as wet as possible. Ryan moved more calmly to the stream's edge and started lapping at the water. "Be careful," he called, looking up. "Drinking too fast is bad for you too. I know you're really thirsty right now – I am too. But take your time. We have a whole stream here – it's not going to run out."

Tyler had already taken several huge, wonderful gulps of fresh water. Hearing Ryan's words, he tried to slow down and pace himself. After a few minutes, feeling more like himself again, he climbed out of the water and shook himself dry. Ryan eyed him with amusement. "Better?"

Tyler nodded. "I feel a lot better. I'm ready to go now."

"Go where?"

"I have to keep looking for my family. They're still out there somewhere, and I'm going to find them."

Ryan took a moment to respond. "Where are you going to look?"

Tyler had his answer ready this time. "I'll follow the road. If the Catchers made it, it has to go somewhere." Looking over at Ryan, he added, "I can take care of myself. I know how to find food and water, and I won't let Catchers see me."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure." Tyler was determined.

Ryan sighed. "Well, I can't really stop you, so here's some advice." He turned back in the direction of town. "To the north," he said, looking left, "things get tougher. Once you get past the forest, there are a lot of Catchers around, and not so many places to hide. Pokémon there either get strong or get caught. Sometimes the Catchers just want to fight and train, but for rarer species, like us, they'll probably try to catch you. At least, that's how it's been for me."

"How many times have you fought Catchers?" Tyler asked, wide-eyed.

"Three, and they all tried to catch me. Two of them were young, and their Pokémon weren't very strong. The third Catcher was a little older. I barely got away from that one. He actually had me in a ball for almost a minute. It took everything I had to break it, and then I just ran." He cocked his head as if in thought, then continued. "I saw two of them later, from a safe distance. They were going into the forest and fighting Pidgey and Caterpie. They didn't try to catch any of _them_ – they just wanted to fight. It was different for me, and it'll be different with you too."

"Why me?" Tyler asked. He didn't feel special.

"Eevee like you are pretty rare. How many others have you met?"

"Just my family," Tyler admitted.

"And how many Pidgey, Rattata, Caterpie, and Pikachu have you seen?"

"Lots."

"Right. So they'll try a lot harder to catch you."

Tyler looked down. It wasn't his fault who he was, and now he knew he was in danger wherever he went, just because of his species. Looking back, though, it explained why Father and Mother had always herded them into cover whenever Catchers came near, which none of the other Pokémon in the forest seemed to do. Was he going to have to live in fear the rest of his life?

"So I wouldn't recommend going that way, at least not until you get stronger," Ryan continued. "The other way… I haven't been there myself, but I've talked to some Spearow and Pidgey a few times, and they say it's pretty quiet. Not a lot of Catchers out."

"I guess that's where I'll go first, then. Thanks, Ryan."

Ryan sighed. "I'm going to miss you, you know. It's been kind of like having a brother again."

Ryan's words surprised him, but thinking about it, Tyler realized he was also going to miss Ryan. It was nice to have someone looking out for him again, and Ryan had taught him a lot in the few days Tyler had known him. He looked Ryan in the eye. "I'll miss you too, Ryan. Thanks for helping me so much."

"Of course. If you ever come back through here, or if you need help, you're welcome to find me. I'd like to see you again."

"I will," Tyler said. He turned, looking up to judge the sun's position. It was still a little before noon; there was plenty of time left in the day and Tyler no longer felt as dehydrated and exhausted, and he was getting better with every passing minute. "I think I'll get going now. It's still early in the day."

Ryan laughed a little. "Already? I know you're not thirsty anymore, but it will still take a little while for you to get back to full strength. You should wait at least a little."

Tyler sighed, but the Quilava was right. "I guess so. I just want to be doing something right now. I want to find my family."

"Well, do you want to get something to eat before you go?" Ryan asked him.

"Yeah." Tyler nodded. "I am kind of hungry."

They went back to the bush. Tyler felt a little proud every time he saw it; it reminded him of winning that fight with the Meowth. After eating and resting for a while he set off. Ryan accompanied him as far as the forest's edge.

"Remember," Ryan told him, "I'm here if you need anything."

"Thanks." Tyler meant it.

"All right then. Stay safe."

Tyler took a deep breath. "I will. Thanks for everything."

As he headed out along the tree line, carrying another berry with him on Ryan's advice, Tyler was struck by a wave of loneliness. He had only been there two days, but he was going to miss Ryan. He wondered if it was going to be like this every time he left somewhere, and suddenly he wasn't at all sure that he wanted to travel. He wasn't going to stop, though. Not without finding his family. Tyler focused on the distant road winding in and out of the hills. There had to be another town that way. Maybe it would bring him some answers.


	9. The Road Less Traveled

Tyler's path took him a long way. The Catchers' road he was following seemed to stretch off in the distance with no sign of stopping. It seemed almost deserted, though he did see two Catchers that day. They were a long way off, though, so he didn't worry about them. Occasionally the road disappeared behind hills, and Tyler would have to climb one of the nearer ones to confirm that is was still leading him in the same direction. He mostly stayed in the shade of the trees, though; his experience that morning with sun and thirst had left him cautious, and the sun seemed much more intense out on the plains, especially since it was now approaching midsummer. He headed into the forest several times to find a stream or pool to drink from, still feeling the aftereffects of the morning's events, but for the most part, Tyler felt fine. Since his escape from the Catchers, he had done a lot of walking, and both his strength and endurance had greatly improved.

He stopped again in the afternoon to eat his berry. The journey had bruised it a bit, but it was still sweet. Tyler decided he liked berries a lot more than the roots on the grasslands, although he was glad to know that there was something he could eat out there. As he got up to keep walking, he noticed that clouds were starting to gather.

The clouds thickened as the afternoon went on, cutting out the sun's glare and heat. The change was welcome, and a cool breeze started to blow through the trees. After a while, Tyler was surprised to feel droplets of rain splattering across his head and back. It hadn't rained in several weeks; the grass beside him, more brown than green, was a testament to that. Tyler lifted his head, inhaling deeply and savoring the scent of rain on the parched ground. He hadn't smelled that in a long time. It was different from the forest too, as the shade from the trees tended to shelter the other plants. Here, the wet and dry smells mixed together in a way he found he liked.

He braved the rain for a while, enjoying it at first, but after nearly an hour, it had gotten steadily worse with no sign of letting up. Tyler finally decided it was time to seek shelter and turned into the forest, moving from tree to tree in order to keep dry – or at least not get any wetter. Realizing that the storm might not let up for a long time, he went looking for a berry bush before settling down. The rain had washed out the normal scents of the forest, making it harder to find food, but after a while, his search was rewarded with a large bush bearing large, red-orange berries. There were only a few on the plant. Someone was using it for food, Tyler decided, and so he only took one for himself. He had been fearing another territorial attack like the Meowth's, but either no one worried about him taking a berry or they had already holed up to wait out the storm.

Retreating closer to the forest's edge, Tyler found a thick pine tree and took refuge under it, thoroughly wet after taking the time to find food. Unlike most of the forest, the ground under the tree was still dry; the thick needles kept the water from reaching the ground. Tyler sighed in relief at finding a dry spot. He had never appreciated how nice it was to have a den until now. Planting his paws, he vigorously shook the water out of his fur, sending droplets spattering everywhere.

"Hey!" an indignant voice came from above. "Watch where you shake!"

Looking around in surprise, Tyler found a Teddiursa clinging to a branch a little way above him, its fur now glistening with drops of water. "Sorry," he answered. "I didn't see you up there. I thought I was by myself."

"It's all right, I guess," the little bear Pokémon replied, calming down. "That's why I was up here, anyway. I didn't want anyone to see me. But I guess it's okay. That you saw me, I mean. I don't think you're going to attack me."

"Of course I'm not!" Tyler said.

"I know. I just like to be careful. You can stay here if you want."

They both sat, watching, as the wind came up and the rain turned into a full storm, with wind whipping the trees and lightning flashing in the clouds.

"I wonder if Zapdos is out tonight," the Teddiursa remarked.

Tyler considered for a moment. The legendary thunderbird was said to bring storms wherever it went, and this seemed like the night for it. He had never seen Zapdos, or either of the others, though Sasha said she had once, through the mouth of their den, when a lightning flash lit the sky. "I guess this is where he would be."

It would be cool, not being bothered by storms, wouldn't it?" the Teddiursa said, half to itself.

Tyler grinned. "Well, we wouldn't have to hide under trees like this."

It sighed. "You're lucky. One day you'll have powers like that."

"I guess so," Tyler replied with a shrug. "…I worry about it, though."

"Why?" the Teddiursa asked incredulously. "You can be anything you want! All I'll ever be is an Ursaring. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but you could have _all kinds_ of powers."

"Yeah, I know… but it's kind of scary. You know what you'll be. You've got an idea of what it'll be like. All my brothers and sisters know what they want to be. I just worry about what _I'll_ be. Whatever it is, I have to live with it for the rest of my life. That's what always scared me."

"That _scares_ you?"

Tyler sighed. "Yeah… it does. I mean… You're gonna be an Ursaring. When I evolve… I don't _know_ what I'll be. I don't know if anyone will recognize me." He paused, looking down, then added, "I don't know if _I'll_ recognize me."

Tyler fell silent. It was the first time he had ever voiced his fears aloud. Tyler, the Eevee who didn't know what to be. Mother, wherever she was, knew he worried about the decision, but he'd never mentioned why, never spoken of his fear of not knowing his future identity – of suddenly being a stranger.

There was a long silence. Then the Teddiursa said, "Well, I think I'm going to get some sleep. This storm doesn't look like it's going anywhere before nighttime anyway."

"Yeah, I think I'll sleep too," said Tyler, grateful for something else to say. "Good night, I guess."

"Good night," the Teddiursa replied.

Tyler turned and scuffed at the dirt underneath the pine tree, making a small depression, then lay down. It took him a long time to actually fall asleep, so he just looked out, head on his paws, watching the raindrops spattering off of leaves and pouring onto the ground. Eventually he fell asleep.

When he woke up, the rain had stopped, though the grass was still wet and the trees still dripped water. He stood and stretched, noting as he did that his fur was still damp as well. Craning his head around, he licked at the fur on his side and found that the scratches left by the Meowth's claws were starting to heal over. That was good. Looking up, he found that the Teddiursa was already gone, probably returned to its own den now that it wasn't pouring rain. The sun was also coming up again, which meant he had slept through the whole evening and night.

Rain still masked the scents of the forest, so Tyler decided to forego eating for a while. There would be more berry bushes ahead, and he could find them once things dried out a little more and he could smell them better. He did drink some water from a flooded patch of grass, though. It tasted a little cleaner than what he usually had from the stream. Refreshed, he set off again.

The damp ground kept his paws wet, which Tyler didn't like, but as he had expected, things started to dry out again as the sun climbed higher. Pokémon started coming out of their dens, and some of them asked who he was and where he was going. He answered that he was looking for a town, but none of them seemed to know anything about it, so it seemed he wasn't very close. Tyler pressed on gamely, though, following the distant line of the road all that day with only a few stops to eat, drink, and rest. When night fell again, he was tired, but not as much as he had expected. Constant travel was making him stronger.

In all, it took Tyler four days before he found anything. He nearly gave up several times, but the road kept going, and, reasoning again that it had to go somewhere, he pressed on. On the fourth day, though, the forest suddenly curved out again, arcing to the left. The road kept straight on, disappearing between the trees. Tyler's spirits lifted a little. Maybe the town was inside the forest. That would make getting close and going in and out a lot easier.

The road lost its straightness inside the forest, twisting and turning to thread between the trees. Tyler had to stay close to follow it, which was why he didn't hear the whirring until it was too late. A young Catcher suddenly appeared around a turn in front of him on one of their metal things. As soon as he saw Tyler, he jumped off to land on his feet and pulled a red-and-white ball off his belt, shouting excitedly. Tyler couldn't understand Catchers, but he thought he heard the word _Eevee_. He threw his ball out in front of Tyler. Tyler sighed. _Great_. There was no chance to run; he was going to have to fight his hardest and hope he didn't get caught.

The ball opened, and a Weedle appeared in a flash of light. Tyler was immediately worried; Father said Weedle were poisonous. This one seemed hurt, though, weaving from side to side as it tried to advance on him. The Catcher shouted again, though, and it arched its back, whipping its tail up. Something came flying at him – a small spine that buried itself in Tyler's shoulder before he could get out of the way. Tyler immediately turned and pulled it out with his teeth, spitting the spine out on the ground. It hurt, but he didn't want to take his chances with poison. Turning back to the Weedle, he saw it was already drawing back again, and threw himself down and to the side. He didn't see where the spine went, but the important thing was that it missed. Coming up again, he spun around, scattering dust into the air with his hind legs – something Father had taught them, though it hadn't been much use back then since they trained in the grass. Hopefully the Weedle wouldn't be able to aim at him now. Circling to the left, he took a breath and charged into the dust cloud, hitting the Weedle in the side where it didn't have spikes and knocking it down. It struggled for a few seconds to right itself and continue the fight, but then gave up, obviously exhausted. Tyler was just glad he hadn't had to face it at full strength.

There was another flash and the Weedle vanished. The Catcher threw another ball, and this time a Rattata appeared in front of him. Like the Weedle, though, it looked badly hurt, staggering a little. "You shouldn't be fighting right now," Tyler said, suddenly feeling sympathetic.

"Knock me out and I'll get some rest," the Rattata replied dryly. "We've been fighting Caterpie and Weedle ever since we left town."

As the Rattata spoke, Tyler circled, wary of any sudden moves. Then the Catcher shouted again, and the Rattata, gathering its strength, leaped at him. Tyler stepped back, and it hit the ground again in front of him, still coming. He didn't have room to build up any speed, so he just stepped forward and rammed his head into the Rattata's. It hurt a bit, but the Rattata fell back, stunned. Tyler winced sympathetically. "Sorry."

Laying on the ground, not moving, the Rattata cocked an eye at him. "It could've been worse. Well, I suppose that's that," it sighed before disappearing as well.

Tyler hoped momentarily that the battle would be over with that, but the Catcher pulled out third ball and tossed it into the air. There was another flash, and a four-legged green Pokémon, a little larger than he was, appeared on the ground. A Chikorita, he thought. It looked like it was in better shape than the others, and moved more confidently as well. The Catcher shouted, and recognizing it by now as an order to attack, Tyler started moving to avoid whatever was coming next. The Chikorita reared back, whipping her head forward as her front legs came down again and sending a spray of razor leaves flying at him. Tyler dropped to the ground and most of the leaves passed harmlessly overhead, though one nicked his ear and another slashed along his back, leaving a shallow cut. _I take it all back,_ he thought, remembering his conversation with the Teddiursa. _Having some kind of power would be really nice right now_.

Tyler started backing away, hoping to get close enough to a tree to be able to shelter behind it. The moves he had used against the Meowth wouldn't work nearly as well against the Chikorita. As if to prove his point, the Catcher shouted something else and a pair of vines grew from the Chikorita's neck, stretching out to reach him. Despite his attempt to dodge, they wrapped around him, and the Chikorita started dragging him closer, digging her heels into the ground and leaning back. Tyler dug his paws in too, his mind scrambling. He needed a plan, and he needed it now. Then an idea struck him. Power… hadn't Ryan mentioned that he could use energy, whatever it was, even though he didn't have any special element? How to use it, Tyler wasn't sure, but… _he said it's part of who I am._ Ryan's words came back to him: _"You can make yourself stronger or faster for a moment… Even at your size, you could send it flying."_ He still didn't know how to reach it, but that power might be his only chance to win this.

The Chikorita was still pulling him closer, but Tyler shut his eyes for a moment. As long as she was using her vines, she hopefully wouldn't attack him with anything else. _It's inside me somewhere. I have to find it._ He focused, searching inside himself for any trace of power. _It's a part of who I am. So who am I?_

Tyler was an Eevee. No – it had to be better than that! He tried again. He was usually pretty careful. He liked the purple berries from one of Mother's bushes. He came… he came all the way here to find his family. _That's what I'm here for. I'm probably the only one who got away. I can't let them down._

The Catcher's voice interrupted his thoughts, and he felt the vines loosening. As he opened his eyes again, the Chikorita was already rearing back to hurl another spray of leaves at him, this time at close range. Tyler started scrambling to the side. He aimed for the trees, knowing he'd never make it, but then he felt some barrier break inside him, and suddenly the world slowed down. He took six steps before whatever had happened stopped again, and as things went back to normal he heard the hiss of razor leaves passing behind him, missing completely.

Turning his head, Tyler stared behind himself for a moment in amazement. _I just did that!_

Both the Chikorita and her Catcher just looked at him in surprise, all three of them momentarily frozen. Then the Chikorita shook her head and narrowed her eyes, glaring at him in frustration. "Quick attack, huh?"

The Catcher shouted again, and the Chikorita glanced toward him and nodded before turning and lashing out with her vines, wrapping Tyler up again and jerking him off his paws. He cried out and struggled, but it was no use; she had him held fast. In desperation, he bit at one of the vines. The Chikorita gave a little yelp, and that vine released him and retracted. He turned to snap at the other, but the Chikorita flinched and let him go, pulling her unhurt vine close.

 _You like hitting things from far away,_ Tyler thought. _I need to get in close._ As he thought, he was searching again for the energy that had awakened inside him. He could feel it now, like a tiny light, but he still didn't know how to make it do anything. He concentrated on speed, on the world slowing down again, hoping for the best, but everything stayed normal. Knowing he couldn't just stand there, Tyler started running to the right, tracing a circle around his opponent. Responding again to her Catcher's shout, the Chikorita started another razor leaf attack, but by the time she was about to release it, Tyler was between her and her Catcher. Rather than put her Catcher at risk, she turned aside and let the leaves fly wide, growling with frustration. As she did, Tyler made his move, changing direction to charge straight at the Chikorita. She was ready for him, though, lashing out with her good vine to snare his paws again. Tyler kept running, ignoring her attack and focusing on the Chikorita, and then it happened again. Everything around him slowed down, allowing him to easily jump the vine lashing toward his paws. Without hesitation, he closed the distance and hit the Chikorita in a full-body tackle just before the effects of his power wore off again.

The result was everything he could have hoped for. Instead of just knocking her down, the force of Tyler's accelerated tackle carried the Chikorita clear off her feet. She crashed to the ground several feet away, sliding in the dirt before she stopped. She struggled back to her feet, clearly furious, but also clearly not as confident as before.

Glancing to the side, Tyler saw that the Catcher looked stricken. Nothing happened for a few moments, but then the Catcher pulled out another red-and-white ball. Tyler ducked, worried it would be used on him, but the Catcher pointed it at the Chikorita, and she disappeared in another flash of light. Murmuring something to himself, the Catcher retreated to his metal thing, mounted it again, and turned back the way he had come, quickly accelerating out of sight. Breathing hard, Tyler walked away from the path and waited a while to be sure the Catcher wouldn't return before he continued on his way.


	10. A Fighting Chance

The battle had left him tired but elated. He could finally tap into his energy! More importantly, it meant he had a chance against Pokémon who could attack from a distance or who might be bigger and stronger than him. He still wanted to test it, though, to be sure it wouldn't fail him the next time he was in a fight.

 _Now, how did I do it, again?_ Thinking back for a few minutes, Tyler realized that each time his power had activated, he had been focused on reaching something – first the trees, then the Chikorita. Narrowing his eyes, Tyler settled on a nearby bush – but then realized that since nothing around him was moving, he might not be able to tell if it worked or not. After pondering the problem for a moment, he went over and shook the bush, but the branches stopped waving before he was ready to try again. He tried for a minute to come up with another way to test it, but came up blank. Finally, unwilling to give up without at least trying to use his power again, Tyler faced the bush and charged, focusing as hard as he could on it.

He did feel _something_ change again. The sounds of the forest suddenly became dull and muted, and things somehow felt different. This time, though, he didn't reach the bush; the effect lasted barely a second before things went to normal again, and Tyler realized that wherever his power was coming from, he didn't have much left. Still, though, it was there, and hopefully it would come back with some rest. Tyler was still breathing hard, tired from the fight. As short as it had been, it had taken more out of him than he expected. Maybe his high-speed attacks drained him more. Maybe he was just tired from four days of travel. Tyler didn't know, but he _could_ tell that he needed to stop and rest.

As usual, his first task was to find food and water. Food was the easy part, as his nose quickly led him to a berry bush. It had a lot of fruit on it, though it looked as if something had been nibbling at the leaves. Water took him longer to find, as he had left the stream behind that morning, but after a while Tyler was able to find a small pool that had been shaded by the trees. The water wasn't very fresh, but he didn't care much; he was tired, and all he wanted to do by then was find somewhere to lay down, even though the sun was still high in the sky. Dragging himself over to a bush, he pulled himself underneath and lay down. He didn't feel like sleeping at first, so he just lay there, peering out through the leaves and thinking.

Discovering his energy… that was big. Tyler had only known it was there for a few days now, ever since Ryan had asked him about it. Thinking back, he wondered why Mother and Father had never mentioned it. He was sure they knew – they had to. Why hadn't Father taught them how to do that when they were training? It didn't make sense.

He shook the thought away. There had to be some reason for it. Father and Mother had always done everything they could to take care of Tyler and his siblings. Maybe he wasn't _supposed_ to use it when he was an Eevee. After all, Ryan had his own experience as a Cyndaquil, and Cyndaquil could already breathe fire when they were young. Tyler shrugged that one away too. He had the power and he could use it. He would need it if he was ever going to be able to get his family away from the Catchers, so he couldn't waste energy worrying about whether it was good for him. Unless using it actually started hurting him. Then he would have to reconsider.

Tyler's thoughts turned to the rest of what Ryan had told him. The Quilava had said that he could make himself stronger or faster. He had figured out how to move fast – he had to focus on reaching a target. Somehow that triggered the power inside him. _How can I make myself stronger, though?_ Maybe it was something else he needed to focus on, though Tyler didn't know what. Or maybe he still had to focus on a target, but differently. Or… _Well, I'm not sure if my power actually makes me run faster. I still feel like I'm running normally, it's just everything else slows down. But then, I hit that Chikorita and she went flying – just like Ryan said. I must have been going faster, or I wouldn't have hit her so hard._ Maybe to make himself stronger, Tyler had to focus on himself? He didn't really know how, though. Trying to focus on making himself faster hadn't worked. Finally, he sighed and gave up. Tyler was tired, and his power seemed to be exhausted as well, so he wouldn't be able to test any ideas for now. The best thing he could do right now was rest.

As he lay and watched, he saw several Caterpie and Weedle peek out of their hiding places, then come inching out onto open ground. They must have been waiting for him to leave. He realized tiredly that there must be Caterpie and Weedle all through this part of the woods. Hadn't the Rattata mentioned something about that when they were fighting?

Tyler sighed and shook his head. It didn't really matter right now. He wasn't going anywhere, not for a while at least. Laying his head on his paws, he closed his eyes, trying to get some rest.

When Tyler woke up, it was late afternoon. He felt worse than before, though maybe he wasn't quite as tired now. It only took him a moment to figure out why: his shoulder was throbbing with pain where the Weedle's sting had hit. It had poisoned him after all! Tyler shuddered. He was glad now that he had pulled the stinger out immediately – it was probably the only reason he'd made it this far. He might have even lost the battle and been caught! Probing his shoulder with a paw, he could tell that the wound itself wasn't bad, but his shoulder had swollen painfully from the Weedle's poison. Luckily it wasn't too tender, just aching. The rest of him felt just as bad, with an occasional wave of pain making him wince.

He simply lay there for a few minutes, trying not to panic. Tyler had never been poisoned before. Before leaving home, he'd never had any kind of real injury. Out here, he'd gotten scratches, cuts and bruises, but all of those would get better after a few days. Poison, he didn't know about. Maybe it would just keep getting worse. A memory flashed through his mind – Mother, limping along in front of him, getting weaker all the time. Now it was happening to him.

Tyler knew he couldn't just wait around. He had to do something, before it was too late, so he struggled to his paws. It was harder than he had expected, and for a moment he just stood there, feeling perilously weak. Then, gritting his teeth, he started his painful way out into the forest again. He couldn't stop here, not now. Hopefully he could find someone – or something – that would help.

There were more Caterpie and Weedle out than before, and they looked up at him as he emerged from the bush. Frightened and weak, Tyler shied away from them, limping in the opposite direction. More seemed to come out as the day stretched on and shadows lengthened, though, and soon he found himself in what felt like a slow, deadly game of tag, trying to stay as far away from all of them as he could while he pressed on. He hadn't been afraid like this since the morning he had run for his life from the Catchers.

Tyler noticed several Pidgey and Spearow around, too. They would fly through the trees, occasionally diving down out of his sight. He didn't know why, until he saw one pass by with a Caterpie in its talons. This wasn't like home at all, at least not how he remembered. Still, the Pidgey and Spearow ought to be friendlier than the bug Pokémon. It was worth a try. If Weedle were poisonous, since there were so many here, the Pokémon around here had to know how to deal with the poison – didn't they?

He saw one of them, a Pidgey perched on a branch a little way away. It was watching a small clearing where at least ten of the bug Pokémon were crawling around. Hoping it would be friendly, Tyler came closer and shouted, a little weakly, "Hey!" Combined with walking and the effects of the poison, even that effort made him pant a little.

At the sound, the Caterpie and Weedle became instantly alert, hissing and arching their backs. The Pidgey watched them for a few seconds more, then huffed in frustration, lifting its wings and flapping over to berate him.

"Did you have to shout like that? I was hunting, couldn't you tell? Now it's all gone to waste. Are you some kind of idiot?"

Tyler cringed back a little. This wasn't what he'd expected at all. "Sorry," he offered in a small voice. "I was hoping you could help me."

"And why would I do that, when you just _ruined_ my hunting?" The Pidgey stared at him for a few seconds, daring him to respond.

"Well, I hoped…" Tyler began, the words trailing off. He took another breath and tried again. "I got hurt. A Weedle poisoned me, and it's getting worse," Tyler added, cringing a bit as a wave of pain swept over him, emphasizing his point. He looked pleadingly up at the Pidgey. "Please, can you help me?"

The Pidgey looked him over for a minute, then sighed, sympathetic but obviously still irritated. "Listen. Can you still walk?"

Tyler nodded.

"Good. There's a bush…" The Pidgey cocked its head and narrowed its eyes, estimating, then pointed with a wing. " _that_ way. Not too far from here. The berries help with poison."

Relief flooded through Tyler, and he started to breathe more easily. There was a cure for the poison. He wasn't going to die. Once he had his emotions under control, he looked the Pidgey in the eye. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the Pidgey responded gruffly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have dinner to catch." He turned, then stopped. "You will be all right, won't you?"

"I think so." Tyler answered. He still didn't feel well, but he was pretty sure he could make it to the bush.

"Good." The Pidgey flapped his wings and flew off, leaving Tyler alone again.

Still weak, but buoyed by new hope, Tyler turned in the direction the Pidgey had indicated and started walking. All the bug Pokémon had moved away from the noise, so he was alone at first, but as he went on they started to show up again, and he found himself circling around them. He was careful not to lose his way, though, and after a few minutes of walking he could smell the bush he was looking for – at least, he hoped it was the one he was looking for. Following the scent, he proceeded more confidently until the bush came into view, a canopy of small leaves mostly concealing its round, light-colored, pinkish-orange fruit.

He would have broken into a run at the sight, but he didn't have the strength at the moment, so instead he limped forward as quickly as he could. After a minute, he finally arrived next to the plant, pushing through the leaves. One of the first things he noticed was that there were only a few mature berries on the plant. He guessed that a lot of the Pokémon in the area would come here if they got poisoned by Weedle or something.

It took him a few tries, but rearing up on his hind legs, he finally caught a berry's stem in his teeth and pulled. It came loose, tumbling out of the bush alongside him. Tyler picked himself up off the ground and limped the few steps to where it had fallen, laying down on his side to eat it. It was one of the larger berries he had seen, and it would probably fill him up by itself. He just hoped that it worked on the poison like the Pidgey said it would.

The berry had soft, sweet, juicy flesh, and Tyler enjoyed it despite how serious his situation was. Just to be safe, he ate the seeds too, crunching down on them with his back teeth. He still felt the same, but supposed he would have to wait a while before things hopefully got better. Now that he had eaten the berry, though, he didn't feel as worried. With the sun gone down and darkness creeping across the sky, he decided it would be best to sleep for the night. If he was still sick in the morning, the berry bush would be close by.

Still wary of running into bug Pokémon, Tyler took the time to slowly burrow his way into the thickest part of a bush. It wasn't very comfortable, but it was safer, and Tyler was in too much pain anyway to care how it felt.

Tyler woke with the sun the next morning. He felt a lot better; all he had left to show from the poison was a sore shoulder. He climbed to his paws and stretched, paying special attention to his shoulder. For a few moments he just stood there, heartened by the fact that the poison was gone and enjoying the feeling of just standing there, free of pain and breathing normally; then he shook himself and looked around. It seemed like the Caterpie and Weedle had all gone back to wherever they liked to hide. Hopefully that meant he wouldn't see any more until evening. He didn't really want to run into them even then.

He took a few minutes to plan things out in his mind. The battle, and getting poisoned, had interrupted him, but now that he felt better, Tyler set his sights on getting to the next town. Hopefully he could get to it that day with enough time to plan his next move and get inside at night to look for signs of his family. Maybe his newfound power would be able to help him too, though he wasn't sure how right now.

It took him a few minutes, but he was able to find his way back to the road without too much difficulty. After finding something to eat and drink, Tyler was on his way to the town that lay somewhere back in the forest. This was going to be a good day.


	11. The Next Town

As it turned out, the town wasn't very far away, but the road twisted and turned so much that it took Tyler longer than he would have thought to get there. The Weedle and Caterpie complicated things, too, as they seemed to be all over the place, hidden in trees and under bushes. None of them seemed particularly hostile, but Tyler was still wary after being poisoned the day before, and so he kept a healthy distance, even though going around them made his trip longer.

By noon, though, Tyler could see Catchers' dens through the trees. He was happy to have finally arrived after traveling for so long, but at the same time he realized that he would have to wait again for nightfall, which was still half a day away, before he could get inside the town safely. He didn't look forward to that.

To pass the time, Tyler decided to eat and drink, even though he wasn't that hungry yet. Casting about for ideas, he decided to find another bush of the poison-curing berries. He could remember the smell, so after searching around for a while he found one, a little way from the town. Like the other, it didn't have many berries on it, so he decided not to eat one then, just in case, and found a different berry bush to eat from. Knowing there was a poison cure around made him feel better, though.

Coming back to the town while it was still early afternoon, Tyler decided next to circle around it, like he had with Ryan. They had been looking for a dark place to slip in, which wouldn't work during the day. Still, Tyler thought, if he went around during the day he would get to see the town better. He could look for dark places at night, but that was still a long way off.

Because the forest grew right up to the town's edge, Tyler was able to get very close in some places without leaving the undergrowth. The town was a very different place in the day, with Catchers all over. They were all different sizes, from large males to small, excited young ones. There were a lot of young Catchers running and chasing each other. Tyler could remember doing that with his own brothers and sisters – maybe Catchers weren't that different after all. None of the ones he saw here seemed like they were looking for Pokémon, either. They went in and out of the different dens, and a few started down the road into the forest. There were Pokémon too, here and there, following different Catchers around. Tyler saw a Marill bouncing along with a small Catcher. They were playing some kind of tag, with the Marill suddenly breaking away, circling around trees with the Catcher running after it. When she caught it, the positions would reverse and the Catcher would run, squealing happily as the Marill bounced madly after her.

Watching them, Tyler was struck by a sudden wave of longing to be with his own family – especially his brother Skylar. The two Eevee had been together from birth, running, playing, training, and exploring, and it had been Skylar by his side facing the Persian on the morning the Catchers came. Apart from Mother and Father, he missed Skylar more than anyone else. Hopefully he and Sasha had both gotten away after they all split up. Hopefully he would see them again, at least some day. Hopefully.

Tyler remained there, lost in thought, until the Marill and the small Catcher passed out of sight. He moved along, still longing to see his family again. His sadness and worry had faded over time, but sometimes it came back again, like now. Tyler _had_ to find his family, and that meant starting here. He wasn't going to give up. His family was out there somewhere. Maybe he would find something in the town tonight.

Moving with new determination, Tyler continued making his way around the town. A lot of Catchers were outside, apparently enjoying the weather and doing things to their dens. Passing through a rather sparse bush, he heard a shout and froze. As he turned his head, Tyler groaned, unable to believe it for a moment. It was the Catcher who had attacked him the previous day, now running toward the edge of town where he was, a ball in his hand. Tyler turned and ran into the forest, hoping the Catcher wouldn't be able to follow him. Ryan had been right; Catchers _did_ want him. At least this one did. There were his Pokémon to worry about, too. He would really have to watch out for the Weedle's poison. The Rattata had seemed all right, but after yesterday, Tyler thought the Chikorita would happily tear him apart. He had won when they were hurt, but they were probably ready to challenge him again now, and Tyler knew he couldn't take all of them.

He could hear the Catcher behind him now, pushing through bushes and running between trees. That probably meant the Catcher could hear him too. With a sinking feeling, Tyler realized that it was gaining on him. With his small size, he couldn't stay ahead for long. Emerging between two bushes, he surprised a Weedle on a log. It started arching its back, but Tyler, already running for his life, couldn't do anything but angle to the left and back into the bushes. Fortunately it didn't hurl any spines at him, and once he left it turned and started into cover itself.

Under the bush, he stopped, catching his breath. Maybe he wouldn't be found here, as long as he kept still. The Catcher's footsteps stopped a few seconds later. It tromped around, trying to find him again. Tyler kept perfectly still, though his heart was still pounding from the running, and tried to breathe quietly. After almost a minute, he heard a sigh from the Catcher; the footsteps stopped again, and Tyler dared to think he had gotten away. A few seconds later, though, the sound of a ball opening came through the bushes, accompanied shortly after by the scent of Rattata. Tyler's heart sank. Rattata could hear and smell at least as well as he could; hiding wasn't going to work anymore.

Confirming his fears, the Rattata slipped into the bush, looking at him in surprise. "You again?"

"I don't want to fight," Tyler said desperately. "I'm looking for my family here. Please, just let me go."

To his surprise, the Rattata was sympathetic. "Ray really wants to catch you for his team." It sighed. "But I'll tell you what. Just this once… run."

"Really?" Tyler's breath caught for a moment. "Thank you!"

"Just get out of here. I can't let you go twice, so if we find you again, don't expect me to go easy on you."

Tyler nodded gratefully, then turned and pushed quickly out the other side of the bush, dashing off into the forest again. He heard a shout behind him, and after a few moments, the Catcher appeared, running around the trees. The Rattata emerged from the bush too, and the chase was on again.

Tyler had a head start, but it wasn't going to last. Casting about desperately, he suddenly remembered the power he had somehow unlocked the day before. Maybe it could give him a chance. If he got out of sight and stayed out of the bushes this time, he would be harder to hear and track. Glancing around, he picked a tree off to the right and focused on it. After a moment, the world slowed again, and Tyler made a sharp turn, darting to the side and putting trees and underbrush between himself and the Catcher.

Tyler was close to the tree when his power stopped again. It had lasted longer this time than before; maybe that meant he was getting stronger. He continued running. Behind him, Tyler heard the Catcher stop for a few moments. His Rattata turned to follow Tyler, though, and the Catcher resumed running, back in pursuit.

Running between the trees, Tyler passed into a small clearing occupied by several Caterpie. Like the Weedle, they arched their backs and started humming threateningly. In an instant, an idea flashed through Tyler's mind, and he realized how he could escape the Catcher. Instead of turning away, he aimed right through the middle of them, focusing on the far side of the clearing. His power triggered again, and before they could react, Tyler darted between the Caterpie in a blur, leaving the Catcher behind him to deal with the now-alert bug Pokémon. Behind him, Tyler heard a cry of frustration, and his pursuer finally stopped. He sighed in relief, and despite being winded from so much running, he turned right and started trotting at a more comfortable pace, tracing out an arc that would take him away from the Catcher and back to the town.

On his way back, once he was sure no one was following him anymore, Tyler took some time to rest and find water, then made his way to the town. It looked the same as when he had run away; all the Catchers were still going about their business, apparently unconcerned about him. Wary of the young one who had now tried twice to catch him, though, he circled around to the opposite side before looking at anything else.

While the chase had been fairly short, the return trip had taken him some time, and Tyler was pleased to notice that the sun was on its way back down. Shadows were falling across the town, and there weren't as many Catchers outside now. Finding another bush – a good, thick one this time – near a large open space, Tyler settled down to watch, peering through the leaves.

There was a group of Catchers a fair distance away. It looked like they might be making a new den; Tyler could make out a skeletal shape that looked like the others. Several Pokémon were working alongside the Catchers, including a huge Ursaring that was carrying some kind of long things back and forth, where the Catchers were adding them to the new den. It seemed like how Cora described making a nest, and Tyler wondered for a moment if "nest" would be a better name than "den." It didn't really seem to fit, though.

Not much happened for a while, apart from Catchers occasionally going in and out of dens, and Tyler was starting to get bored until the Catchers suddenly all stopped. The ones on the den climbed down, and then they all left, headed to different dens – Tyler guessed they were going home, and his thoughts were confirmed when none of them came back. He looked around. It _was_ late, and all the Catchers and Pokémon were probably getting ready to sleep. Except him. A little later, just before dark, the young Catcher appeared, walking out of the forest into town again. He went into a large red den just like the one Ryan had warned him away from, and didn't come out again. Tyler shrugged mentally. Now he had _two_ reasons to avoid it.

As the sun went down, lights started flickering to life all over the town. Some were inside the dens; others appeared at the top of the metal poles that were scattered around. That was what Tyler had been waiting for. Creeping out from his hiding place, he started circling the town as he and Ryan had before, looking for missing lights that would give him a way in unseen.

On one paw, the town was smaller than the one he had visited with Ryan, so he was able to go all the way around it more quickly. On the other, he didn't find any missing lights. After considering for a minute, he went back to a spot where two dens cast a promising shadow, a short distance from where he had lain to watch the town. Standing just beyond the edge of the town, Tyler took a deep breath. This was it. He was going in, and all by himself this time. Bracing himself, he walked into the shadows, staying close to the wall of the den on the left.

The town looked a lot like first one he had visited. Dens were lined up along the road, although the road itself wasn't as smooth or dark as the one in the other town. It seemed more like the ones that went between the towns, mostly dirt. This one also had more open areas, which had no cover or shadows to hide in. At the same time, though, it seemed to Tyler that the lights were fewer and farther apart. So maybe it would be all right.

Reaching the corner of the first den, Tyler stopped to plan his next move. This den had bushes growing in front of it that he could hide behind or in. There was a light up on his left, but not to the right, so he looked across. Inside the den to his right, he could see shadows moving around. One of the Catchers might pass in front of the hole and see him if he went that way. Finally, he decided to go left anyway, using the bushes for cover and running from shadow to shadow like he had before. Most of the lit areas he had to cross were fairly small, but on the far side of the den there was a wider, brightly lit gap. When he reached it, he stopped and looked around. He couldn't see or hear any nearby Catchers, and so he decided to chance it, darting through the light to the relative safety of a fence. Once back in the shadows, Tyler went still, listening for any noise that would signal his discovery. Luckily everything stayed quiet.

Hiding in the shadows, Tyler realized that he wasn't sure what to look for. That was something he should have thought of already. He sniffed the air experimentally, hoping for some trace of Eevee or the Persian, Arbok, and Nidoking the Catchers had brought with them. Nothing. Still, that didn't mean they weren't here. Maybe, like Ryan said, they were kept inside their balls. Maybe he needed to be closer to the den they were in.

Taking a deep breath, Tyler moved on. He was still on the edge of the town, so he followed the fence to the side, where it ended. That left him midway between two lights, so he crossed the road there at a dead run, taking shelter under a small tree on the other side. There were two rows of dens here, giving him a lot of protection from the lights lining the roads that ran along either side. Turning left, he started that way first, working his way between the dens and keeping close to bushes and occasional fences wherever he could. He noticed that the Catchers here had a lot of flowers too, and sometimes there would be other things around their dens. Most of them Tyler didn't recognize, but there were some large things made of wood. They weren't dens, but their shapes and angles made him think they were probably something like them. In any case, they were large and dark enough to give him a lot of cover.

Every so often he stopped to sniff the air again. He caught a lot of scents; most strongly Catchers and flowers, but there were also smells of small Pokémon like Rattata, Marill, and Teddiursa, some of which he had seen in the town that day. Further away, there was the forest with its strong scents of bug Pokémon. Disappointingly, he still didn't smell anything he was looking for.

He reached the end of the row of dens, which led to the forest again, and started back past the point where he had come in, heading deeper into the town. Many of the dens here had lights inside, and Tyler found himself wondering again what they were like. Maybe if he looked in, he could get some clue about his family. For now, though, he continued down the row, stopping periodically to check for scents. By the time he reached the end, though, he still couldn't smell anything useful, and he had to admit that he probably wouldn't. If he could smell things in the forest, he could smell Eevee in the town. Looking inside the dens was probably the only way he might learn anything useful here. Making his way across an open area, he heard a noise and froze. A Catcher had just emerged from a den, but luckily not very close. Tyler could see him in the light he was standing under; it was a large male, carrying a large round object by his side. He walked around the side of his den, and Tyler, far from any cover, took the chance to drop to the ground and fold his ears back. A crashing noise came from behind the den, then the Catcher came back, hands empty, and went back inside.

Tyler didn't move a muscle for almost a minute afterward. When it was finally apparent that the Catcher wasn't coming back out, he again began moving cautiously toward another small group of dens. There were three lights in front of the dens, but none on the sides or behind. If he could just get past them without being seen, Tyler would be safe again, or at least as safe as he could be inside a Catcher town.

Crouched behind a low wall, Tyler got ready to make his move. A short dash through the light would take him to a thick patch of flowers that he could hide in, and from there he could make his way over to the dens to see what was inside. Steeling himself, Tyler launched himself over the wall and sprinted toward the flowers, when suddenly he heard voices, and Catchers appeared from the side of the dens. In a panic, Tyler used his power again and darted into the flowers, crouching down. They rustled as he did, and to his horror, the Catchers stopped, looking around. There were two of them – it looked like a male and a female. Maybe they were mates. They started in his direction, still peering around, and with rising panic, Tyler realized he was trapped. There was nowhere else to take cover apart from the dens, and they were too far away for him to hope to reach in time. His only hope was that they hadn't actually seen him or where he was. If he tried to move now, inside the flowers, they would hear it and know exactly where to find him. All he could do was stay where he was, keeping still and praying that they wouldn't look into the flowers he was hiding in.

Motionless, Tyler watched them coming, his heart pounding harder and faster with each step closer. The Catchers weren't stopping. They weren't turning away. He was going to be caught, just like Father and Mother and Kara and probably everyone else. No one would rescue his family. No one was left to save him. If they got him, it was all over. And they were still coming, ignoring smaller plants and rocks and heading for the only real cover around. Tyler's breathing grew rapid and shallow, and his legs were trembling. He could hear them whispering now as they drew closer and closer. Terrified, Tyler stiffened further, and his fur stood on end, his ruff doubling in size. The world seemed to slow down again, but not because of his power; every moment seemed to last forever as the Catchers moved inexorably to where Tyler hid.

Then they were there, standing above him, peering into the flowers at where Tyler crouched, coiled like a spring and quivering all over. The female said something in a low voice, and the two Catchers just stood there for a moment, staring at him, while Tyler looked back and wondered what they were going to do to him. Then the male Catcher crouched down. Tyler, already stretched to the breaking point, couldn't take it any longer, and as the Catcher reached out a hand he bolted, turning and barreling out of the flowers with only one thought in his mind: _Get away!_ He ran, exposed, straight past one off the dens, swerved behind it, and kept going, still in a panic. As he passed the next corner of the den, he saw that there were several bushes and trees behind it, and almost sobbed with relief, angling toward one of the ones in the back. His power triggered again by accident; he hadn't meant to use it, but his desperation to get to cover triggered it anyway, and things slowed down again for a few moments.

Safely hidden in the shadows again, Tyler stopped and turned back, panting heavily. He had only been running for a few seconds, but suspense and fear had drained him. He was still trembling a little, but he forced himself to ignore it and peered around the bush, waiting breathless for the Catchers to appear around the den. When after a few moments they didn't, Tyler started listening, cocking his ears this way and that in case they were circling around, but he didn't hear or see Catchers anywhere. Moving cautiously from bush to bush in case they were waiting to ambush him, Tyler made his way around the other side of the dens to see the Catchers continuing down the road they had been following at first, walking away as if unconcerned by what had just happened, leaving him confused. They had seen him, had been so close… but they apparently didn't care about catching him, unlike all the other Catchers he'd ever seen. Or maybe they just weren't ready to hunt? Now that Tyler thought about it, he hadn't seen a ball on either of them. They probably didn't see very many Pokémon inside their own town, so that could be it.

Tyler thought about it for a while longer, but in the end he was forced to admit that he just didn't know. There were a lot of things about Catchers he didn't understand, and with a sigh, he realized that this was one of them.

The sigh turned into a yawn, reminding Tyler that it was much later than he usually stayed awake. Shaking himself, he turned back to the dens and decided to get a look inside first. Then he would retreat to the forest and sleep.

Walking in the dark behind the three dens, Tyler went up to the first hole he found, but it was too high and he couldn't reach it. The next few were the same, but then he found one with some Catcher thing sitting next to it. Clambering onto the top as quietly as he could, he found that it was almost the same height as the hole, so he could see in easily. Carefully folding his ears back, Tyler edged closer to the lit hole and peered in. This was his first time actually seeing inside a Catcher's den, since the first one had been dark and Ryan had been the one to look in the second.

The first thing that caught his eye was a young Catcher. Luckily it was facing away from him, looking at a lit square that sat in front of it. Tearing his gaze away from the Catcher, he looked around the rest of the den. His first impression was that it was too small; the walls inside didn't match the ones outside. That was strange. There were various oddly shaped objects sitting around the room, including one that the Catcher was sitting on. The walls had a lot of rectangles and squares on them. Catchers seemed to like straight lines a lot. Some of the things on the walls were pictures, and Tyler made out a few Pokémon he recognized, like Pikachu and Pidgeot. There was another that looked like a bigger, fiercer version of Ryan. Probably an evolution, though Tyler couldn't remember the name. A lot of the pictures had Catchers in them. Looking around the room, though, Tyler couldn't see any balls here either. Maybe they kept them somewhere else? Or just out of sight?

A sudden noise startled him, and he drew back from the hole as far as he could without falling off. One of the rectangles on the wall opened, revealing another hole, and an adult Catcher came in. Tyler froze, but the Catcher didn't look in his direction, just at the young one. Despite his fear, curiosity drew Tyler a little closer, and he could see that more of the den was visible through the new opening. Catchers' dens had different parts. That made more sense. Through the hole's clear covering, Tyler could faintly make out the Catchers' voices. They spoke for a few minutes, then the young Catcher slumped a little. She reached up, and the square in front of her went dark. The older Catcher turned and left, and as she did, everything else went dark, too. Squinting in the moonlight, Tyler could faintly see the young Catcher cross to a large rectangular object and lay down. Watching her go to sleep, Tyler had to stifle another yawn. It was definitely time to leave. Turning around, he looked over the edge of the thing he was on. It wasn't too far to the ground, and he jumped, stumbling a little at the landing. Tyler turned to look at the dens one last time, then left the clearing around the town, walking into the forest to sleep.


	12. Ryan's Advice

When Tyler woke up, late the next morning, he didn't waste any time. After finding a berry bush to eat and a puddle of water to drink from, he set out along the road, back the way he had come. He had seen enough of the town the night before to be pretty sure that neither his family nor the Catchers who had taken them were there. Now it was time to look somewhere else.

He was able to get through the forest fairly quickly, though there was a tense moment when he surprised a Caterpie and it sprayed sticky threads all over him before retreating up a tree. He was mostly all right, but the threads had tangled around his right forepaw so that he had to hop along in a sort of limp. After a little while, though, the threads had dried enough that Tyler was able to shred them with his claws and teeth and free himself. It was annoying, but, he thought, better than getting poisoned again. The encounter reminded him again to be careful of the bug Pokémon, and he made it to where the road left the forest without any more trouble. He was proud to see that even with the Caterpie attacking him, he made it there by noon.

As the road headed out across the grasslands, Tyler followed the forest verge as before. He turned into the forest a little after noon to find something to eat, and he had to find water every so often, but for the most part Tyler pressed on the entire day. Later on, he moved a little further under the trees, since the afternoon sun slanted further and further in and made the treeline almost as hot as the grasslands. It slowed him down a little, since the brush and trees made it harder to go in a straight line. When he stopped for the night, though, Tyler felt satisfied with how far he had gotten that day.

When the sun woke him the next morning, he was struck by how few Pokémon were about. They weren't gone; he could still smell and sometimes see and hear them, but most of them were still in their dens. Thinking back, Tyler tried to remember if his family had been like that. Father, he knew, was always awake well before the sun came up, making his morning patrol. As far as he could remember, though, his siblings had always woken up with the sun. After he had eaten and was starting out again, Tyler started to see more Pokémon emerging from their dens and going about their day. He was pleased to see the forest Pokémon he was familiar with, Pidgey, Spearow, Sentret, Teddiursa, Rattata, and others; he had had enough of bug Pokémon for a while. As he trotted along the grass by the forest, Tyler noticed that the shadows of the trees still cast shade pretty far out, letting him stay on the grass without getting hot. Mornings were definitely a better time for travel.

As he traveled, Tyler thought about what to do next. He didn't really know what was out there in the other direction; Ryan had mentioned that there were stronger Pokémon and Catchers around the area, but he didn't know much else. It seemed like the place he needed to go if he was going to keep looking for family, but he was still worried about facing Catchers. Maybe his new power would be enough to keep him safe, but somehow he didn't think so. Not by itself. Somehow, Tyler needed to get stronger.

First, he decided, he would find Ryan again. The Quilava would want to know how things had gone with the forest town anyway, and he might have more advice on what Tyler could do. Maybe he could go into the forest, too, to find Cora. No – that would take days. And he still didn't know just where she lived in the forest, since he'd been lost when he met her. She wouldn't be watching for him, either, since he'd told her he was leaving. With a sigh, Tyler realized he wouldn't be able to visit the kind Pidgeotto who had helped him get home. Hopefully one day he could come back and find her again.

So then, Ryan it would be. Peering out as far as he could see, Tyler estimated the distance he still had to go and realized it would still be a few days before he got back. It had taken him four days the first time, and this was only the second. Although it might be a little shorter if he didn't get caught in another rainstorm.

Tyler kept going all that day and the next, walking alternately in the grass during the morning and in the forest when the afternoon sun started to angle over and heat things up outside the trees. He made good time, and as the sun set the third time he saw the town he and Ryan had visited appear out ahead of him. It had only taken him three days to reach it. Well, almost reach it. Tyler thought about pushing ahead that night, but he was tired from walking all day. He could still get to where the town was and find Ryan early the next morning, and so he found a comfortable spot a little way into the trees and slept.

Tyler woke early the next day, excited to finally be back somewhere he knew. He hurried around, finding food and drinking from the stream, then set out to finish his trip. It was still midmorning when he found himself opposite the town, and he turned into the underbrush, looking for the Quilava. To his disappointment, though, Ryan wasn't anywhere on the path, but Tyler wasn't about to give up that easily. Sniffing the air, he decided to track Ryan by smell.

Ryan's scent was pretty strong everywhere on the path – he obviously traveled it frequently – but there were a few places where it left. One was out of the forest, into the grasslands, but the scent there wasn't fresh, so Tyler moved on. He was surprised to find that another scent trail that led deeper into the forest, following the stream. His interest piqued, Tyler followed it, noticing that it led back in the general direction of the forest town.

As he went along, the stream met another one, becoming larger. This happened several times along a route that was longer than Tyler expected, and by the time he found another sign of Ryan's presence he was walking along a small river. He hadn't found anything for a while, but then his nose picked up a burnt smell. Figuring that had to mean a fire Pokémon, Tyler quickened his pace until he encountered an open area by the stream and saw flashes of flame. Before he left the undergrowth, Tyler peered through and saw a Quilava there, breathing out a stream of fire. He relaxed; it was Ryan.

"Hey! Ryan!" he called, trotting out through the trees.

The Quilava started, its fire cutting off, then turned around. Once Ryan saw him, he brightened. "Tyler! You're back! …How did you find me out here?"

Tyler shrugged. "I followed your scent. It was pretty far, though." He looked curiously at Ryan. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

Ryan was quiet for a moment, then he said, "Well, I'm practicing."

"All the way in here?"

"Yeah. It's a dry year, so it's not really safe to use fire out on the grassland. This is pretty deep in the forest, and it's right by a river." He shrugged. "So I won't start a fire here." Ryan cleared his throat. "Anyway, how did things go? You were gone for more than a week, so I'm guessing you found the town, right?"

Tyler nodded. "I did. There wasn't any sign of my family, though," he sighed.

"Well, did you learn anything else?" Ryan asked him.

Tyler thought back for a moment and nodded again, telling Ryan what he had seen inside the den and about sneaking around by himself. When he got to the part about the Catchers finding him, he suddenly remembered. "Oh! I learned something else, too. I can…" Tyler cut off. He was going to _show_ Ryan. Turning to find a suitable target, he settled on a tree by the river. "Watch this!"

Breaking into a run, Tyler triggered his power and, running flat out, crossed the clearing in a blur. When the effect ended, he turned back to Ryan, who was staring at him in surprise. "I learned how to do _that_ ," he announced proudly.

Recovering quickly, Ryan gave him a tight grin. "So you figured out how to use energy? That didn't take long."

"Well, it kind of happened in a battle," replied Tyler, embarrassed at the praise. "There was this Catcher who saw me. I fought him – but most of his Pokémon were tired from fighting already, so it wasn't too hard. That's when I learned to use my power. But then when I was watching the town, he saw me and he chased me again, and I barely got away. You were right," he added, looking Ryan in the eye, "I guess Catchers do want to catch me." He paused. "Except… there were some other Catchers. The ones I was telling you about, who found me in the plants? When I ran away from them, they didn't try to catch me or follow me. They just kept going. I don't know why."

"Hmmm…" Ryan narrowed his eyes. "That is different. Maybe they weren't ready to hunt at night?"

"I don't know," Tyler answered honestly. "I thought maybe that was why."

Ryan nodded. "Well, I guess we'll have to keep wondering. Did anything else important happen?"

Tyler thought back. "No, not really." He didn't mention getting poisoned; he wasn't sure he wanted to talk about it. "After I went through the town, I just came back here." He paused for a moment; he wasn't sure Ryan would like the next part. "I'm going to the other town you mentioned now. I know you said it's dangerous, but I can't stop here, and I don't know where else to look for my family."

Ryan shook his head. "I thought you were going to say that. And no, for the record, I don't like the idea of you going out there. But I've been thinking about it since you left last time, and if these Catchers were really the way you describe them, you're more likely to find them there. If you don't get caught first."

"I won't," Tyler promised. "I can stay out of the Catchers' way."

"Well, like I said last time, I can't really stop you. I know this is what you have to do."

"Thanks, Ryan," Tyler said softly. "For understanding."

Ryan nodded, but didn't say anything. He looked around at the trees and river, then shook his head again. "I guess I've trained enough for today." He turned to Tyler. "Do you want to stay here for tonight? You've done a lot of traveling, and you should take a day to rest."

Tyler agreed, though he didn't feel that tired from the trip; it was good to have someone around again after being mostly alone for so long, and he felt safer with the Quilava around, almost like he did with Father. Ryan carried himself with the same quiet confidence. As the pair made their way back toward the forest verge, Tyler voiced a question that had come to him a few minutes before. "You know, ever since I fought that Catcher… I've been thinking. I know I need to get stronger. My power won't be enough by itself if stronger Catchers find me. Do you… do you think we could train together?"

Ryan looked uncomfortable. "I don't know," he sighed. "I mean, I would, but… I have a hard time fighting friends, even for training. And I mean, I am a lot stronger than you are. If I go easy on you, then you might not learn much. And if I don't I might hurt you, and I don't want that to happen. I've never trained anyone before." He paused, thoughtful. "And if I do, I'd like it to be someone who wouldn't be hurt badly by fire. No offense," he added, looking at Tyler. "But that's really why I come all the way out here to train. With fire, it's too easy to hurt someone when you don't mean to. When it's just physical stuff, it's easy enough to pull a blow. But once I breathe fire, I can't stop it or make it go away. That's not the way things work."

Tyler nodded slowly, trying not to let his disappointment show. He'd wanted to train with the Quilava and learn how to deal with elemental attacks, but what Ryan said made sense. "What can I do then?"

Ryan gave him a thoughtful look. "Well… I hate to _encourage_ you to go out there, but I have heard that in some of the more dangerous areas, where Catchers come a lot, the Pokémon sometimes meet to train and get stronger. There would be plenty of Pokémon of all kinds there. So, if you're looking to train… I hate to say it, but the next town probably is the best place to go."

Tyler nodded seriously. It wasn't like he didn't worry about being attacked and captured, but he was pretty sure now that the only way he would find his family was if he got stronger. He could hide for the rest of his life, probably, but he'd never get any closer to Mother, Father, or any of his brothers and sisters. As badly as he wanted them to, things could never go back to how they were, living safely with his family in the forest with Father and Mother watching over them. Turning to Ryan, he said aloud, "I have to go there. I need to get stronger. After that Catcher attacked me, I realized that if I keep looking for my family, I'm going to end up in battles. I can't just hide all the time, or I'll never find them."

"I agree with you," Ryan said. "I remember, after Leo was caught, I went looking for him. I only went into town once, though, and I didn't get very far. That was before I evolved. I was always so worried about everything, especially because I was so small and I couldn't use fire very much." He looked down, shaking his head. "A little while after I evolved, I decided I didn't want to be like that any more. I started practicing and training. Mostly on my own; I didn't see my parents much. I still don't. Once I got strong enough to take care of myself, they didn't worry about me much anymore. Anyway, I did get stronger. But I never went back to town. I decided it was better not to mess with Catchers, so I never looked for Leo again. Until you came.

"That was something that really impressed me, you know," Ryan continued. "You were like I used to be. You're small, you didn't have any idea how to use your energy, and you'd never gotten close to Catchers before. But… you didn't let that stop you. I just wish I had been more like that."

Tyler wasn't sure what to say to that, so he stayed quiet, and they walked on in silence. After a few minutes, Ryan said, "I've been meaning to ask. How old are you?"

"I'm getting close to two years," Tyler replied.

"What about evolution? You keep saying you need to get stronger. I know there's a lot more to it than power, but it would really help you if you're trying to protect yourself."

Tyler sighed, but didn't answer right away, and Ryan didn't press the matter. He knew Ryan was right again, but he was still afraid of evolution, and he didn't feel like he was ready to face the question yet. They reached the forest verge, and Ryan sat, looking out across the hills. Finally breaking the silence, Tyler looked up at his friend. "Ryan… can I tell you something?"

Ryan turned away from the view, a little confused. "Sure."

"I'm…" Tyler sighed, then started again. "I'm scared to evolve."

There was another silence, then Ryan asked, "Why? Especially being an Eevee, I'd think you'd be excited."

"I don't know. All my brothers and sisters were." He sighed again, gathering his courage. "But I just worry about being different. I mean… I don't have an element right now. But I'm _me_. I've always been me. Evolution seems different for you. You don't change much, you just get bigger and stronger. _More_ you. I feel like when I evolve, it'll change everything. Maybe I won't really know who I am anymore. I'm worried that part of me will get lost."

Ryan looked at him strangely, as if unsure what to say. Tyler wasn't done yet.

"And there are _so_ many choices. Everyone tells me I can be whatever I want, but what if I get it wrong? Jolteon are fast, Leafeon are strong, Espeon can sense thoughts… What if I evolve and find out it's not what I want? What if it makes me have a different life?" He looked at Ryan a little desperately.

As Tyler spoke, Ryan just sat there, watching him. Finally, he said, "You've been worrying about this for a while, haven't you?"

"Ever since I was little," Tyler admitted.

"Do you know what I think? And I don't mean to hurt your feelings. I think you worry too much about it. I'm not finished," Ryan added, holding up a paw as Tyler started to protest. "There's one mistake you're making, one big mistake. You talk about being different like it's bad. Well, it's not. It's part of life. You're going to be different whether you evolve or not. You're _already_ different now than you used to be. Every time you learn something new, every time you train, every time you get stronger, it makes you a little different. You're worried that you'll have to live a different life. I know you grew up in a den with your family, but it's not the only way to live. Think about it. You already don't live that way any more. _When_ you evolve, maybe it'll bring you closer to day, or night, or water, or sun, or cold. Well, guess what? That's fine. That's part of life too. Maybe you should stop worrying about what you're going to _be_ , and worry about what you're going to _do_ with it." He stopped. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be that harsh."

Tyler sighed again. "I know." Even though Tyler knew Ryan was trying to help, it didn't make him feel any better. Ryan's words, _When_ you evolve, echoed through his mind. It was too much. _I'm not sure I want to evolve at all,_ he thought miserably, hunching his shoulders to ward off the thought of it.

Ryan looked at him in concern "Tyler…"

"I don't want to talk right now," Tyler said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Well then, listen."

"No," Tyler said, his ears flattening resentfully. He didn't want to be told again that he needed to stop being worried about _the biggest change of his life_ ; he just wanted to shut everything out for a while. Ryan finally gave up, and they sat in silence for a while. As the sun started to trace its way back down the sky, Ryan got up and headed back into the forest, leaving the downcast Eevee alone, though Tyler could hear that he didn't go very far before stopping and turning again. Despite how he felt, it was still comforting that Ryan was there watching out for him. After another minute, there was a slow exhalation behind him, and Ryan's footsteps receded into the trees until Tyler couldn't hear the Quilava any longer. He sighed and lay down, head on his paws. The worst part of it all was that Ryan was right again. Tyler could feel the power inside him growing every day. It was already starting to make him think of how Mother and Father had described it at home. He didn't feel like he was going to burst … _at least not yet…_ but his energy almost seemed to pulsate, like a second heartbeat. He didn't mind that part so much, since it meant his power was getting stronger, letting him run at high speeds for longer bursts, but he knew it also meant his body was getting ready to evolve. _But I'm not ready to._

Tyler lay there dejected for a while, absently watching the dry grass rustle as the wind swept across it in waves. He missed Mother. She always knew how to make him feel better. He missed everyone. His thoughts chased one another for a long time, circling around and around in his mind, until they finally spun out, leaving him feeling empty.

Tyler sighed again and flopped onto his side. A few moments later, Ryan came through the trees. Tyler wondered how long the fire Pokémon had been waiting there. He padded over to Tyler and dropped a berry on the ground.

"Listen… I'm sorry about earlier. I brought you something to eat," Ryan said, nosing the berry closer to Tyler.

"I'm sorry too," Tyler replied. "It's just hard. I know I'm going to evolve soon, but I still don't feel ready."

"Listen," said Ryan. "You know something? I think you'll be fine. You listen, you think things through, and you've got a fighting spirit. I can tell you won't give up easily. Whatever your evolution ends up being… I think it will help you become what _you_ want to be." Ryan paused for a moment, a distant look in his eyes. "My mother once said that we all have a path to follow. She told me never to be afraid to walk it, that there was nothing to fear unless I tried to run away and abandon the path. I've always wondered what she meant by that, but I've been thinking about our conversation earlier, and it reminded me. I've been thinking about what she told me ever since. I think maybe abandoning the path is like trying to run away from your life or make yourself into someone different. That's how you lose yourself. If my mother was right, then as long as you stay true to who – and what – you are, you won't get lost."

Tyler found himself lost in thought for a while and didn't reply immediately. _I'm going to evolve. I can't change that. And like Ryan said… maybe I shouldn't be trying. I feel trapped by it sometimes, but if that's what my path is, maybe I just need to follow it. Maybe it'll help me feel better._ As that last thought crossed his mind, Tyler sighed and pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Thanks, Ryan…" He trailed off, wanting to say more, but he didn't know what to say, so finally he looked down and simply repeated, "Thanks."

Ryan answered quietly. "That's what friends do."

Tyler noticed the berry, still laying on the ground where Ryan had left it for him, and pulled it to himself with a paw. Crouching again, he bit into it. The juicy sweetness reminded him that he hadn't eaten since he had gotten up that morning.

"Thanks," Tyler mumbled again with his mouth full. He quickly finished the berry Ryan had brought him and then set about licking the juice from his fur. Ryan lay down too, stretching out to his full length. The sun was going down now, and laying there with Ryan looking over the grasslands and the town reminded Tyler of the first time they had gone there, more than a week ago now. It was strange how long ago that felt. Losing his family and leaving his home had turned Tyler's world upside down, forcing the young Eevee to grow up quickly. _I've had a lot of help, though_. Cora and Ryan had each helped him find a way to keep going and had shown him how to take care of himself. _I'm glad Ryan's here._

He turned to the Quilava. "Where do you sleep around here?"

"Um, a little way back into the trees," Ryan responded. "Why?"

Tyler hesitated. "Is it okay if I sleep with you for the night? I miss my family."

Ryan's eyes glistened a little. Tyler wasn't sure why. "I think… that's all right." Ryan shook his head, then sighed. "I miss my family too."

The two made their way back into the trees as the sun slipped below the horizon, Tyler following the Quilava to a little hollow scraped into the ground. "It should be big enough for both of us," Ryan said, looking at it critically.

Tyler yawned involuntarily. "All right."

As they lay down, Tyler looked up at the Quilava. "A while ago, you said I reminded you of your brother. I was wondering… can we be family for now?"

Ryan was silent for a long time. Finally, he said, "Well, probably not like siblings, no. But if you need someone, I can be here for you."

Tyler exhaled softly, a warm feeling welling up inside. Ryan really did feel like family. He still had to find his parents and siblings, but tonight he was happy to be with the Quilava. Crawling a little closer to Ryan, Tyler curled up again and went to sleep, feeling more peaceful than he had in a long time.


	13. Up the Mountain

Ryan's stirring woke Tyler early the next morning. The sun was barely creeping over the horizon, casting shadows horizontally through the trees.

"Sorry," Ryan said behind him as Tyler started moving as well. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's all right," Tyler said, stretching and looking around. "I slept really well. I'm not tired now."

"Well, good. If you're heading out again today, you need it."

Now up on his paws, Tyler looked around. "Right now, I'm hungry. Let's eat!"

"Yes, let's," Ryan replied. He seemed pleased that Tyler was acting like himself again. After a good night's sleep, Tyler _was_ feeling a lot better. A little impatient, he led the way back to his bush. He wasn't familiar with the area around Ryan's scrape, but he did know which way to go.

"There are closer bushes, you know," Ryan pointed out, trailing behind him. "You must really like that one."

"Well…" Tyler ducked his head, a little embarrassed. "I don't know. I sort of challenged that Meowth for it… I guess it reminds me…"

"I get it," Ryan broke in. "It's okay, don't worry. We can go there."

Tyler nodded, relieved that he didn't have to figure out how to explain his preference. He felt a little self-conscious anyway, and masked it by scampering ahead. Ryan increased his speed to keep up, and they soon reached Tyler's bush, where they ate their fill. Tyler ate more than he usually did; while Ryan had brought him a berry the night before, the Eevee had eaten little else that day, so he was especially hungry this morning. He took another berry with him for the road, as he had the last time. After eating, they went back to the stream to drink, and to wash up – Tyler had hungrily wolfed down several berries, making a bit of a mess of himself. That was something Skylar usually did, not him, and he felt a little embarrassed about it even though his family wasn't there to see, so he compensated by wading into the water and cleaning himself as well as he could, leaving his berry on the streambank for a moment. As he did every time he bathed – which wasn't very often, he thought a little guiltily – he was reminded of how good it felt to get all the dirt and tangles out of his fur, leaving it soft and smooth.

After that, he started asking about the new town. "How far is it?"

Ryan answered, "I'm not quite sure. Closer than the other one, though."

"Okay." That was good. "Do you know what it's like over there?"

Ryan sighed a little. "Not really. I've never traveled up there myself. Honestly, most of what I know comes from talking to bird Pokémon. You should start, too. They range a lot further than we do, and they usually know the lay of the land better than anyone. All I know is that there are more Catchers around and Pokémon there train together."

"Oh. Thanks." Tyler wasn't sure how to respond; it seemed like Ryan might get annoyed if he asked any more questions. There was silence for a few moments, then Ryan added, "Is there anything else?"

Questions spun through Tyler's mind – what kind of Pokémon? How strong? Were there places that were safe from Catchers? – but he didn't ask any of them. Ryan probably didn't know, like he'd said. He cast about for something to say. "I guess not." Suddenly, there weren't any preparations left to make. He was as ready to go as he'd ever be. Tyler had been unconsciously putting the moment off, not really wanting to leave again though he knew he had to. "I guess it's time for me to go," he added, looking at his paws.

Ryan heaved a sigh. "I'm going to miss you. Again." He didn't ask Tyler to stay, though, and Tyler was grateful for that, because he might have. He half wanted to anyway. Turning, he pushed his head into the Quilava's shoulder and closed his eyes to keep tears from getting out. Ryan matched the gesture affectionately.

"Thanks, Ryan. For helping me so much. For everything."

Ryan answered warmly. "You really do remind me of what it's like to have a brother, you know that?" He took his head off the Eevee's shoulder and stepped back. "Now, go find your family, all right? Whatever it takes."

Tyler nodded a little unsteadily. "I will. I'll come back to see you."

"Remember what I said," Ryan replied. "If you ever need help, you're welcome here."

"I will." After a moment, Tyler turned away, then turned back. "Can you come with me as far as the road?"

"Of course," the Quilava replied. With that, Tyler collected his berry and he and Ryan headed out, passing the edge of the forest and cutting diagonally across the hills. They reached the bend in the road where it swerved around a large rock in only a few minutes. Ryan stopped there to say his goodbyes. Tyler was a little worried about conversing so near the road, but standing here at the bend, they could see a long way in both directions, so he supposed it was all right. After talking in the forest, there really wasn't much left to say, either, so Ryan just put a paw around him again. "Keep yourself safe."

Tyler nodded. "I will." Ryan released him, and he turned, following the road away into the unknown. He looked back a few times. At first, Ryan was sitting, still watching him, but as he neared the crest of a hill, he turned back to see the fire Pokémon slowly padding back toward the forest. Then he crested the hill, and he really was alone again.

He quickly came across a path. It seemed to parallel the road, which was good, since it meant he wouldn't have to push through the grass the whole way. He approached it cautiously, though, scenting the air to find out what frequented the trail. He didn't want to run into anything large and irritable. Fortunately, his nose picked up the scents of a lot of different kinds of Pokémon. That meant it was probably used for travel, and less likely to end at the den of something he didn't want to meet. Hopefully it also meant there would be food and water somewhere along it. Ryan's advice echoed through his mind again: _"If you can't find any but other things live there, find out how they get to water."_ He hoped the path counted, because he didn't know any other way to find the next town.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Tyler hugged the side of the path more and more tightly. Fortunately the grass was significantly taller than he was, and some of it curved over, giving him partial shade, which he used for all it was worth. He took occasional detours, pushing through the grass to the right until he confirmed that he was still following the road. Some of these detours took him to the tops of hills, which the path mostly avoided, and this gave him a chance to see out across the grassland. He could see occasional Pokémon. Tauros he recognized, as well as a large number of fluffy yellow Mareep that were dotted here and there, though he wondered if it was just because their woolly coats stood out that he could see so many. There were some others Tyler wasn't familiar with; one looked a little like the Tauros, but was large and round. Another, one he wasn't sure had been real, had been a birdlike thing that glinted brightly in the sun.

At one point, Tyler was interrupted by a droning buzz, and he instinctively drew back away from the path, concealing himself in the tall grass. Moments later, a Scyther passed languidly over, watching for anything that might be prey. Tyler knew that was what he would probably be if the Scyther saw him, but luckily they didn't hunt by smell like forest Pokémon did, which meant as long as he stayed still it would have a hard time finding him in the grass. He peered out after the Scyther had gotten a little further away, and flinched involuntarily as it suddenly changed direction, the sound of its wings quickening to a deadly whirr as it dove down after something. Then there was an answering crackle from out of sight in the grass, and the Scyther swerved back into view, wobbling a little in the air. It continued away from whatever it was, seeking easier prey.

Once it was gone, Tyler continued on his way. Angling his ears this way and that, he heard a rhythmic chomping noise. That was probably the Pokémon the Scyther had tried to attack. For a moment he was torn about meeting something that could threaten a Scyther, but then, just because a Pokémon was strong didn't make it an enemy. Finally he pushed through the stalks and found himself in front of another Mareep. Dropping the berry he still carried by its stem, he tried to think of what to say. The first thing that came to mind, and out of his mouth, was "Do you know where to find water?" He guessed it wasn't the worst thing to say, since he didn't know the Pokémon at all.

The sheep Pokémon contemplated him for a moment, then turned to look further back into the grass. "That way. Not too far."

Still wondering how the Mareep had protected itself, he asked, "The Scyther was trying to attack you, wasn't it? What did you do?"

The Mareep fluffed up, and Tyler could hear crackling again. It turned to show the ball on its tail, which was now glowing. "Scyther don't handle electricity very well. They only attack us if they think they can catch one of us by surprise."

Tyler nodded. He'd actually wondered what Mareep could do. "That's cool." He picked up his berry again and started heading in the direction the sheep Pokémon had indicated, when another question struck him. "I'm looking for a town that way," he said, signaling with his head. "Do you know how far it is?"

"Not too far. You might be able to reach it by sunset."

"Thanks!" Tyler replied, heartened. He picked up his berry again, realizing that it was probably time to eat it, and continued in the direction of the water the Mareep had mentioned. After traveling a short distance, his nose picked up the scent of water ahead, confirming what the electric sheep had told him. Shortly after, he reached the edge of a small pond. There were prints from paws and hooves all around it, and he saw several other Pokémon around its edges, drinking the water. Tyler moved to the pond's edge and started lapping at it. The still water tasted different than what he was used to, but it was all right. Once he had sated his thirst, Tyler retreated a little way back into the grass to eat the berry. It tasted good, and it was kind of a relief not to have to keep carrying it around in his mouth. Having eaten and drunk, Tyler made his way back to the path. He didn't see the Mareep this time; either he came back a different way or it had moved on. He looked up to gauge the sun's position, and saw another glinting shape in the sky. _I guess there are metal birds. I wasn't imagining it before._ After taking a few seconds to watch it, Tyler pulled himself back to the present. It was a little after noon. The Mareep had said he might make it by sunset. Tyler planned to.

As he went on, the terrain grew steeper and the hills merged into a single slope. Grass was sparse on the steeper sections, and Tyler started seeing a lot more rocks sticking out of the ground. Some were large enough to cast shadows across the path as the sun arced down. Noticing this, Tyler quickened his pace again. He found a side path, too, that led to a small pool of water in a rock hollow. He was grateful for Ryan's advice about finding water, because he didn't know if he would have found this spot without the path, which ran a fair distance from the road now. He hadn't seen any Catchers, but then he hadn't seen much of the road either.

As it turned out, Tyler came in sight of his goal just after the sun slid below the horizon. As he crested a ridge, he found a sprawling Catcher town in front of him with the moon coming up behind it, occupying a large part of the valley it was in. Turning aside to find a place to stay for the night, he was surprised to see an Onix coiled there, watching him. He must have passed it at first, thinking it was a pile of rocks. Even as he thought this, Tyler was backing off slowly.

"What are you doing here?" the Onix asked in a voice like stones rubbing together.

Tyler shivered a little. "I… I came to train here."

"Train?"

Tyler nodded. "My friend Ryan said Pokémon up here meet to train because there are more Catchers."

"Did he, now?" The Onix started uncoiling, moving slowly toward him. Tyler backed off some more and it added, "Stop that. I'm not here to attack you. Well, your friend was right. We do."

Tyler brightened a little. "Does that mean I can join in?"

It looked him up and down, which didn't take too long. "I imagine so. Come with me." Turning, the Onix started to slither away, its body stretching out to a huge length.

Tyler had to hurry to keep up. "Where are we going?"

"Zahna will want to see you."

"Who is Zahna?" Tyler was a little worried.

"You'll find out soon."

They arrived in front of a cave as the sky darkened. The Onix coiled again in front, blocking Tyler's view. "Zahna, are you in there?"

A serious female voice answered. "I am. Who is it? Oh. Sten. What do you want? It's late."

Sten snorted, the first flash of emotion Tyler had seen from the massive stone snake. "You don't care about late, Zahna. I'm here because I found someone out on the path who I thought you'd want to meet." He slid to the side, revealing Tyler standing there, uncertain. All Tyler could see was darkness inside, but he heard a gasp, quickly cut off. "Oh."

Peering uselessly into the darkness, Tyler called out, "Who are you?"

In response, a faint yellow glow appeared inside the cave. As it brightened, the light resolved itself into rings, moving closer to the entrance. Tyler gasped a little himself as an Umbreon stepped from the shadows into the dimming light. "I'm Zahna," she said, her voice suddenly far gentler. "What's your name, young one?"

"Tyler."

"And what are you doing here? Did you come all this way alone? Where is your family?"

Tyler swallowed. "I'm looking for them. I thought maybe they're in this town."

"So, you lost your family too?" Zahna's voice was heavy with sadness.

"Too?" Tyler echoed. Zahna's face hardened, her rings flaring in the moonlight.

"Catchers tore my family apart. First they took my mate. Then, later, they captured my son. I never saw either of them again."

"If you're both all right, I'm going back now," Sten interrupted, breaking the tension. He started slithering away, and when Tyler turned back to Zahna, her expression had softened again.

"There hasn't been an Eevee around for a long time," she said, "…Do you mind staying here? I can show you around in the morning."

Tyler nodded, tired from the heat and the day's travel. "Is there anywhere to drink first? I haven't had water since this afternoon. Or food."

Zahna nodded. "Of course, I'm sorry. Come on, it's this way." Tyler followed her around several rock outcrops to a stand of bushes. These were darker and somehow harder-looking than the ones in the forest, but Tyler supposed that made sense, since he was now surrounded by rocks instead of trees. "You can eat here. Water is just a little further on."

Tyler kind of wanted a drink first, but he didn't want to say so, so he just went to a bush and pulled a berry off of it. It had a somewhat sour taste to it that he didn't like very much, but he ate it without complaint. Once he had finished, Zahna, who had sat down nearby to wait, led him to a spring in the rock with a little trickle of water flowing away from it. Tyler couldn't see it very well, but it tasted cleaner than anything he had had before, and he lapped up a little more of it than he really needed just to enjoy the taste. When he was done, Tyler turned back to the Umbreon. "I'm done now. Thanks." He was still a little cautious of the Pokémon around here; despite how they'd treated him so far, neither Sten nor Zahna seemed like the type to mess around with.

Zahna nodded silently – Tyler could only see the black Pokémon's gesture because of her rings glowing in the moonlight – and led him back to her den. "You can stay here with me tonight," she said. Tyler gratefully padded in to a spot she indicated, and Zahna continued to a shelf of rock that was up a little higher. Her den was a stone cave, but apart from that it wasn't so different from the one he had grown up in, and he instinctively felt safer here. He curled up, but before he went to sleep, he watched Zahna for a while. It was still hard to see her, but as his eyes adjusted a little more to the darkness, he could tell that the female Umbreon was still alert, watching out the mouth of her den from her position on the ledge. After a few minutes, she still hadn't moved, so Tyler yawned and curled up a little tighter to sleep.

When Tyler woke up the next day, sun was slanting into Zahna's cave, though he noticed that both of them were still in the shadows. It had gotten a little colder during the night than the Eevee was used to, but his fur kept him warm. Looking up at Zahna's ledge, he could make out the form of the Umbreon sprawled there, still asleep with one forepaw draped over the edge. He guessed that maybe she was up more at night, since Umbreon were moonlight Pokémon. He rose to his paws, and Zahna stiffened, her head snapping up. "Who's there?" she called out harshly, looking around before her gaze fell on the Eevee. "Oh. Tyler. Sorry, I forgot. I didn't frighten you, did I?"

Tyler had been a little surprised, but he shook his head. "I'm just going to get something to eat."

Zahna nodded to herself and yawned. "Well, keep yourself safe. It's still early, but a lot of Catchers pass through this area." With that, the Umbreon laid her head back down on her paws and closed her eyes again, apparently going back to sleep. Tyler pondered her for a moment. He didn't understand Zahna very well. Finally, he shook his head and headed out of her den into the sun, angling back in the direction of the bushes she'd led him to the night before. Mindful of her warning, he kept alert, swiveling his ears around frequently to listen in all directions. The only sounds he picked up so far, though, were those of other Pokémon.

When he reached the bushes, he met some of them. A Ninetales was there with two Vulpix, already eating. A Machop was there too, a little further up the slope. As he came into view, all of them looked up at him. After a moment of silence, the Machop raised her eyebrows. "You're new here."

Tyler nodded. "I'm here to train."

"Well, you're welcome here. I'm Tess, by the way, what's your name?" she added.

"Tyler," he replied.

"My name is Andreas," the Ninetales introduced himself. "And of course, these two are my cubs –"

"I'm Aaron!" one exclaimed.

"And I'm Erin," announced the other, a female.

Tyler was confused. "Aren't those both the same name? How do you know…"

The Ninetales interrupted him, shaking his head. "Believe me, it wasn't my idea."

Erin broke in as well. "So, you're coming to train today?"

Tyler straightened up a little. "Yes."

"Cool! Father, can we train with Tyler?" Both little Vulpix turned to their father, eyes pleading.

He chuckled. "I don't see why not."

"All right!" Aaron exclaimed. He started pattering off down another trail. "Come on, it's this way!"

"Hold on, not so fast," his father said. "I'm sure Tyler would like to see a little of what's around here first, wouldn't you?" He turned back to Tyler as he finished.

Tyler thought for a moment, then agreed.

"Okay! See you there!" The two Vulpix pelted back down the path again, Andreas trailing behind them.

Tess turned to the Eevee. "I can show you around. We'll join the training later."

"What about Zahna?" Tyler asked. He wasn't sure if he should leave her behind like that.

Tess shrugged. "She always sleeps late. She'll show up eventually." The Machop turned away, calling, "Come on, I'll show you around" over her shoulder.

"But I still need to eat!" Tyler protested.

Tess turned back, her face darkening. "I'm sorry! I forgot! Um… I can wait."

Tyler gave a righteous nod and padded over to the bushes. It had been dark the last time, but now Tyler could see that there were several different varieties. He was pretty sure he'd eaten from the one in front the last time; it had yellow berries made of lots of little nodules. Passing the bush of sour berries by, he looked at the others. To his mild disappointment, Tyler couldn't recognize any of them, so he selected one at random, a bush bearing small, shiny reddish fruits. Pulling one of the larger ones off, he lay down, placing it between his front paws, and started eating quickly, conscious again that someone was waiting for him. It tasted completely different from anything he had eaten before; it _was_ somewhat sweet, but an unfamiliar fiery flavor nearly wiped that out. Tyler found himself panting to cool his mouth, but he soldiered on, still trying not to be slow. The sensation faded, though, and after a minute he decided he sort of liked the taste.

The spicy berry had put an edge on his thirst, so he ran down to the rock spring and drank. He felt better, though it didn't seem to do anything about the hot taste in his mouth. Full and energized, he pattered back up the path to where Tess still sat. "I'm ready to go."

She led him around the area, pointing out different spots or making remarks. They passed by Zahna's den again, though not too close so as not to wake the Umbreon. Passing further on, they reached a rocky outcropping that overlooked the Catchers' road. There were already several Catchers on the road, and some of them had left it, probably looking for Pokémon. Tess turned left then, leading Tyler away from the Catchers and between rocks. They passed several other dens that she pointed out, as well as a stream that ran from one of the springs that she explained came out of the mountain. Well-trodden paths ran here and there; Tess cautioned him against using them, though, since Catchers could see and follow them too. It was best to stay in the less-traveled parts of the mountain unless he was ready to fight.

They passed several other bushes scattered here and there, but they were mostly smaller and scrawnier, without much fruit on them. Tyler wasn't sure, but he thought he could identify a few of the plants Ryan had shown him out on the grasslands too. At least he wouldn't go hungry here.

Finally, Tess led him to a crevice tucked away in the rocks. He could hear the sounds of a fairly large group of Pokémon gathered on the other side, and occasional shouts and grunts rang out. Rounding a bend, he saw a fairly large flat area, with the mountain rising up on one side and dropping away on the other. Large rocks were piled by the downhill slope, though, so there wasn't much chance of falling down the mountain. All these details Tyler only saw absently, though; his attention was occupied by the Pokémon, paired off and in groups. He recognized a lot of the, though some were unfamiliar to him. Many hung back along the sides, but several of them faced off in the clear area, striking, blocking, and dodging. He even saw sporadic blasts of fire and water, sprays of leaves like Mother's, rock shards whirring through the air, and other things he wasn't sure about. Tyler shivered with anticipation. If he was going to get strong enough to protect himself, this was the place.


	14. Proving Grounds

As Tyler followed the Machop into the arena, he was struck by a sense of awe. When Ryan had said the Pokémon around here were strong, he hadn't known they would be _this_ strong. Watching them battle reminded him of father, and he wondered if any of them could take on three opponents and win. As he looked around at the sides of the arena, though, a question occurred to him. "Where did this place come from?"

"Some of it was already here," Tess answered, warming to the subject. "All the Pokémon around here used to keep mostly to themselves. When more Catchers started showing up, though, a lot of us decided to come together and train so we could hold our own against the Catchers' Pokémon. Someone – I don't remember who – found this place, and some of the rock Pokémon like Sten carved it out a little bigger."

"What about those rocks over there?" Tyler asked, tilting his head and signaling with an ear.

"Those? We brought them here. I helped with that."

"You did?" Tyler was impressed.

Tess nodded a little smugly. "I'm stronger than I look. Watch this." Turning, she chose a rock, squared off, and brought a hand back. She paused for a moment, then struck it open-palmed, shouting, "Hah!" The rock exploded into fragments, making Tyler jump. He'd never seen a Pokémon do that with just one hit, or for that matter at all.

He wasn't the only one to react. Hearing the shout and the impact, many of the Pokémon who had been conversing or watching the others train turned in their direction. Tyler froze for a moment at the unexpected attention. In front of him, Tess suddenly colored again.

"Well, who is this?" The question came from a tall Girafarig. It looked friendly enough.

"Um… Well…" Tess stammered, clearly not expecting to be the center of attention. "Sorry. Um… This is Tyler," she said, indicating the Eevee standing next to her. "He just arrived – last night, right? – and… he said he wants to train. So… here we are."

"Let's see…" An older-looking Ampharos beckoned him over. The yellow Pokémon stood much taller than Tyler. It had black bands around its ears and neck, and its striped tail ended in a ball rather like the Mareep's Tyler had seen the day before. He wondered if maybe the two were related. "Tyler, was it? What kind of experience do you have with fighting?"

Tyler thought for a moment. "Well, Father always trained us, before the Catchers game. I can fight pretty well. I ran into a Catcher about a week ago, back in the forest. And… I learned how to use my energy then too."

The Ampharos nodded but didn't say anything for a moment. Finally he looked over and said, "I think you should join Andreas's group."

"Andreas, the Ninetales?" Tyler asked, wanting to be sure.

"Yes. Andreas supervises a lot of the young, four-legged Pokémon, like you. So I think that would be best."

Tyler nodded, relieved. At least it was someone he had already met. Spotting the Ninetales at the far side of the arena, he left the Ampharos and headed over. Andreas, who had a group of young Pokémon around him like the Ampharos had said, saw him coming and stopped whatever it was he had them doing.

"Hello again," the Ninetales called, not sounding very surprised.

"The Ampharos told me to come over here. He said you help train… Pokémon like me."

The fox Pokémon gave him a feral grin. "That I do. I'm one of the strongest around here, so get ready to learn fast." He turned to the other Pokémon gathered around. "All right, everyone, this Eevee is Tyler. He's going to be here training with us from now on."

One of them asked, "Where is he from?"

"I came out here from the forest," Tyler replied. He was about to go on, but Andreas cut him off.

"We'll have time for that later. Right now, it's time for training, not for sitting around talking. Get back to your positions. You know what to do. Aaron – no, not you – get over here." Some of the Pokémon giggled as both Vulpix responded to their father at the same time. Aaron and Erin shared a conspiratorial glance for a moment, then the male trotted over to his father.

"What is it?"

"Tyler, I like what I've seen of you so far, but I haven't seen you in action yet. I'd like to see how you do with Aaron here. He's very good, so you probably won't win, but I want to see how you handle yourself." Andreas sat, fanning his tails out, while Aaron puffed up proudly. "I'll tell you when to stop." He paused, looking at each of them. "Go."

The Vulpix immediately started advancing on him. Tyler held his ground, wanting to watch his opponent for a moment. This was sudden, though not a complete surprise. He also realized that despite all of the training he had, he'd never fought anyone his own size, except for a few moments facing the Catcher.

Aaron was moving in confidently, closing the distance between himself and the Eevee. Before he got close, Tyler feinted left to see what would happen. The fox Pokémon followed him for half a step before realizing Tyler hadn't committed to the move, then kept his original course. That was pretty good, he had to admit. He momentarily considered using his power and attacking now, but it seemed like a good idea to keep that a surprise for when he'd seen how the Vulpix moved. He settled on a move to make, but he was careful not to look in the direction he planned to go. That was something else Father had taught.

At that moment, Aaron made his move, breaking into a charge. Estimating the distance in his head. Tyler dodged – forward and, again, left, hoping it might be taken as another feint – and as the Vulpix leaped toward him, he reversed, driving his head into the Vulpix's open mouth as hard as he could. He felt teeth scrape the top of his head, doing little damage, then they were apart again, Aaron leaping back out of range. They faced each other again, Aaron working his jaw a little and shaking his head. He watched for a moment, but the Vulpix didn't advance on him again. Instead, he closed his eyes.

That couldn't be good. Tyler dashed in in an arc, coming around the right toward his opponent's side, but even as he did so, Aaron opened his mouth and spat a purple light at him. Unable to change direction in time, he careened into it, and suddenly it felt like everything was spinning end over end. Tyler tried to keep on course, but lost his balance and fell, rolling halfway over as he came to a stop. He flailed for a moment, trying to get back up, but to no avail. A blurry orange shape came hurtling into his field of vision, and Aaron slammed into his exposed stomach, driving the breath out of him in a gasp. The impact did clear his head a little, and he rolled onto his paws, shaking his head to drive the dizziness away. As he did, he saw the Vulpix charging at him again, pressing his advantage. Tyler dropped again and rolled, this time toward his attacker, and Aaron went sailing over him in an awkward, last-second leap. Tyler snapped at one of his tails, but wasn't quite fast enough.

Rolling onto his paws again, Tyler took a deep breath and gave his head one last quick shake. Aaron had turned around by then, but he just stood there, concentrating again. Ready this time, Tyler charged, this time straight ahead. Aaron opened his mouth and sent another ball of light at him. _Now!_ Tyler instantly triggered his power, and everything slowed to a crawl around him. He slid easily under Aaron's attack without slowing and caught the Vulpix halfway into a leap, putting a shoulder into the fox Pokémon's chest at top speed. The force of his blow knocked the Vulpix upward, turning halfway over in the air before coming down hard.

As Aaron struggled to right himself, Tyler charged again. Drawing in a breath, the fox Pokémon spat a burning ember at him from where he still lay on his side. The attack was a lot quicker than his purple light, and as Tyler tried to dodge it caught him painfully in the side. Tyler gasped as the pain hit him and frantically pawed at it, trying to stop the burning, but to no avail.

Andreas bounded up. "All right, enough. Tyler, roll on top of it. That will put the fire out." Aaron slowly pulled himself to his paws and sat down, panting. Tyler quickly did as the Ninetales instructed him, burying his burned side in the dust. After a moment, the pain lessened, but only a little. Rolling back upright and wincing, Tyler craned his head around to see that part of his fur had been blackened. A little smoke still rose from the spot, and the smell was terrible. The whole spot still felt like it was burning, and Tyler gritted his teeth against the pain. Andreas came up to him. "Go see Mara," he instructed, indicating a pink-colored Pokémon with a round body and pointed ears. "She takes care of injuries here. I'll talk to you after."

Tyler gingerly picked his way around the edge of the arena, where Pokémon were still training, until he reached the Pokémon, Mara. As he approached, she looked him over with a practiced eye. "Got burned, did you? They're getting rough over there again."

"Yeah," Tyler replied, still gritting his teeth.

"Well, here. This should help," the Pokémon told him, producing a paste. "Lay down." Tyler did so, and she rubbed it into the burned spots, which immediately started to cool. "Wait here for a moment," Mara commanded, disappearing into the rocks. She came back with a sky-blue berry. "This is what the paste is made from," she explained. They're called rawstberries. You should eat one, too; they help burns heal faster."

"How do you know all that?" Now that the pain was fading, Tyler could appreciate what she was saying better.

She looked at him dryly. "Lots and lots of practice. I've been around here a long time. I don't like to fight, so I heal. There's never any shortage of banged-up Pokémon here." She sighed. "But I guess it's for the best. Losing here doesn't get you caught."

Feeling mostly better now, Tyler got back up. "Will I be okay?"

Mara nodded. "You should be all right. Eat that berry, though."

Tyler felt all right for the moment, and he was still full. "I ate before I came here. I'm not really hungry right now. I think Andreas wanted to see me, too."

Mara nodded consent. "Well, take it with you. Every bit helps."

Tyler turned to go, but then one more question came into his mind. "By the way, what kind of Pokémon are you?"

"I'm a Clefairy." Answering his unspoken question, she added, "We have moon powers. Some stories say that's where my kind came from."

Tyler nodded seriously. "Okay. Thanks for taking care of my burn."

"Of course." The Clefairy waved him away. "Now, get. Take that berry with you. Probably best not to keep him waiting."

Tyler nodded, picked up the berry she had given him, and headed back to where the young Pokémon were, moving more easily now. Andreas approached him. "Are you all right?" Tyler nodded. "I'm sorry that happened – I've told them not to do that in training. I do think it was important, though. I was impressed, watching you. In straight physical combat, you outclass Aaron, and that's saying something. But as you saw, you need to work on dealing with different Pokémon's powers, especially since you can't use many yourself. It's something you'll only run into more from here, especially from Catchers." The Ninetales paused for a moment. "So for your training here, I think that's what we'll focus on."

"What about attacking? I want to learn how to use energy better."

"I think I'll leave that to Zahna," Andreas replied. "She knows a lot more about what Eevee can do. She should be along soon; she usually is. Now, that was a good match, so I think you can rest for now. Just wait for Zahna to show up."

He turned away and went back to watching the other Pokémon training. A few moments later, Aaron came up to him. Tyler noticed, with a trace of satisfaction, that the fox Pokémon was limping a little. "Sorry I burned you," the Vulpix said contritely. "I sort of panicked for a moment. And… I guess I didn't want to lose. Father got mad at me too. Are you okay?"

Tyler hadn't felt kindly toward the Vulpix at all, but with Aaron's apology, and now that the burn was fading, he felt a little more forgiving. "It's okay, I guess. Just, please don't do it again."

"I won't." The little fox looked down for a moment, his tails drooping toward the ground. Then he brightened a little. "You're really good, you know. I've never needed to use fire in a match before." He bent his head to lick his chest, where Tyler had hit him. "That attack caught me by surprise. I didn't know you could hit so hard."

Tyler licked his own ruff self-consciously. "I only learned how to do that about a week ago."

"Well, it's really good. You're fast. I wish I could do that."

"Can't you learn how?" Tyler asked.

The Vulpix shook his head. "Father says our powers are different. I can't do that, but I can breathe fire and do a few other things, like that confusion ball you saw."

"So, is there anything else you can do?" Tyler asked him curiously.

"Well… there is one thing. I'm still working on it, but…" Aaron looked around furtively. "Okay. I'll try and show you." He sat and lowered his head, closing his eyes in concentration. To Tyler's surprise, a second Vulpix flickered into existence a few feet to the left, mimicking Aaron's pose exactly.

"Whoa!" Tyler exclaimed in surprise.

Aaron moved, and the second Vulpix vanished. He opened his eyes and looked at Tyler. "Did you see it?" Tyler nodded. "I'm still not very good at it. It's supposed to be a copy of me. Not a real one, though. Mother is really good at it. She can make five at once and have them all moving around and doing different things, even while _she's_ fighting too." He sighed. "I can barely make one, and I'm not doing anything else at all."

"More practice, I guess," Tyler offered.

"Yeah."

"Speaking of practice, your father told me to find Zahna and ask her to help me learn some new moves. I should probably go," Tyler finished, feeling a little awkward, since he didn't want to seem rude.

"Okay. I'll see you later, I guess."

"See you."

Aaron turned and headed back to where his father was, and Tyler walked across the clear area again, circling around fighting Pokémon. Once, he had to dodge a stream of water that had missed its mark. He got to the entrance and sat to wait. As he sat, he noticed the pain from his burn again, and he remembered the berry he had. He ate it, partly just to have something to do. When he was done, he waited again, tail and ears twitching impatiently. Where _was_ the Umbreon? Everyone said she slept late, but it had passed noon now. Finally, unable to sit still any longer, Tyler headed out through the crevice. He didn't remember exactly what the route looked like, but he followed the path and soon came across the rock spring again. Zahna was there, lapping at the water. She looked up as he rounded the corner.

"Good morning, Tyler."

A little exasperated by this point, Tyler glanced up at the sun, tilting his ears to the sides. Zahna followed his gaze and sighed. "Point taken. Good afternoon, then. What's going on?"

Tyler was about to say that he'd been waiting for her, but something stopped him – partly that he didn't want to offend the Pokémon he was supposed to train with, and partly that he still found the Umbreon a little intimidating. Instead, he responded, "Andreas said I should ask you to help me learn how to use my power."

A gleam came into the ringed Pokémon's red eyes. "That's a good idea. As it happens, I _do_ know a few things to teach you." She pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "I already ate, so let's get to the arena."

Tyler was suddenly unsure. There were a lot of Pokémon there, and he didn't know if he wanted to practice how to use powers he'd never tried before in front of everyone. Zahna saw his hesitation and correctly guessed its source. "It'll be fine. Training is what we have an arena _for_. No one will care if you're learning something new."

He was still a little reluctant, but Tyler nodded and followed Zahna back up the path to the arena. "What are you going to teach me?"

"Well… What do you already know?"

For what felt like the third time that day, Tyler explained how he had learned to use his power, and that while he had trained at home, his parents had never told him anything about energy. "All the other Pokémon I meet seem to know about it, even ones my age like Aaron and Erin. Why didn't anyone ever tell me?"

"Actually, I can answer that question," the Umbreon began. "Eevee are… kind of a special situation. Most Pokémon are born able to use energy, but… I don't know why, maybe it's something to do with the fact that we can evolve so many ways, but Eevee don't actually have access to their energy until a little while before their evolution. If you push yourself hard enough, you _can_ reach it before then, but it's not good for you. Usually we don't teach our children about energy until they're mature enough to access it without hurting themselves. It's also part of evolution, so the training also acts as preparation to evolve."

Tyler was suddenly worried. He _had_ been pushing himself pretty hard, and had actually touched his energy for the first time in the middle of a battle. "Do you think maybe I pushed myself too hard?"

The ringed Pokémon was silent for a moment, her eyes distant. "My guess is no. I think you're old enough to use it. How do you feel, though? Energy should normally feel like a flow. It should be natural. If something feels off, you'll know."

The Eevee thought about it for a minute as they approached the crevice. His energy seemed to be getting stronger with every passing day. "I'm fine then, I guess."

They passed back into the arena. Tyler tagged behind Zahna as she threaded her way between groups, making for a clear area near the downhill slope. "Zahna!" A voice boomed out. "There you are! I've been waiting!"

Zahna turned to the Pokémon that had spoken, a Donphan. "Not today, Horace. Someone showed up last night," she said, indicating Tyler, "so I'm going to be teaching him a few things." She kept moving; Tyler stopped for a moment, looking at the disappointed Donphan, but he didn't want to fall behind, so he had to scramble after the Umbreon.

When they reached the area Zahna had picked, Tyler said, "I'm sorry I got in the way of things."

"It's fine," Zahna said. "I don't know him that well anyway."

 _You knew each other by name,_ Tyler thought but didn't say. "So why are you training me? You don't know me very well either."

She turned to look at him, her expression unreadable. "You're… different."

"How?"

She shook her head. "That doesn't matter. Come on, let's get started." Tyler sat to listen, and she continued. "First, I want you to tell me how you use energy right now."

Tyler took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Well, I can feel it inside me… sort of like a little light. The first time I used it, I didn't understand how. I tried focusing on being fast, but that didn't work. Then I found out that it worked when I was trying to get _to_ something."

Zahna nodded approvingly. "Exactly. Your energy is part of you, so it responds to what you're trying to do. There's a certain mindset you have to use to touch it, but I think you've got that now, at least well enough for what I have in mind. So what I'm going to teach you now is how to use it to enhance your strength." She looked at him. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Belatedly, Tyler pricked his ears back up. He hadn't meant to let his disappointment show. "Well… I've just been watching all of the things the Pokémon around here can do. Aaron could even make a copy of himself."

"Aaron… Ah, one of the Vulpix twins." Zahna paused briefly, and a second Umbreon appeared next to her. It nodded at Tyler, then vanished again. "So you're wondering why I'm not teaching you that." Tyler didn't say anything, and she nodded. "That's a much more complex technique to learn. It also depends on species, and while I _have_ heard of Eevee learning how, it'll be one of the most difficult for you to use properly. We're starting with the basics."

Tyler nodded, still a little disappointed, but he couldn't deny that this sounded interesting. "All right," the Umbreon continued, "Like I said: basics. This is one of the simplest moves for an Eevee to learn. It works a lot like the speed move you've already learned. As you said, you focused on reaching something. This time, you're going to focus on _pushing_ something."

Tyler envisioned it in his head, experimentally imagining himself pushing against an invisible obstacle. Nothing happened, of course. "Okay. What am I supposed to push?"

Zahna walked over to a lone rock and placed a paw on it. "This."

Tyler's heart sank. The rock was bigger than he was. "Can I start with a smaller one?"

"No. If I say you can push this one, you can push this one."

Tyler nodded acceptance and padded over, placing his shoulder against the rock. "Just push?"

Zahna nodded. "Push. Focus on it, like you focused on getting to that Chikorita you told me about."

Putting his head down, Tyler set himself to his task. Stiffening his legs, he drove his shoulder into the solid stone as hard as he could, focusing on pushing the rock back, seeing it slide across the packed dirt in his mind. _Come on. Move._ The rock stayed firmly in place as he gritted his teeth and shoved. After pushing for several minutes, trying everything he could with no success, Tyler stopped, his flanks heaving as he panted for breath. "Keep pushing!" Zahna snapped. "You don't let _it_ move _you_. _You_ move _it_."

"I can't!" In Tyler's frustration, the words came out as a growl.

"You _can_. I promise you that."

Forcing himself to make one last effort, Tyler turned and flung himself at the rock again. His paws slid in the dust, and he planted them again, digging his nails into the ground. The rough stone felt almost like an enemy this time, and he fixed that in his mind, concentrating as hard as he could. Tyler took a deep breath, venting his frustration on the unyielding stone with a growl building up in his throat. Something gave way, and a rush of energy filled him as he put everything into one shove. At the same moment, Tyler growled, " _MOVE!"_

The rock suddenly did, sliding back almost six inches under the Eevee's assault. Surprised, he lost his balance and collapsed on the ground. He didn't get back up immediately, but lay where he was, panting from the exertion. One thought ran through his mind: _I did it!_

Zahna's face appeared upside down in his field of vision. "Well done," she told him, quiet approval in her voice. Twisting around, Tyler planted his front paws and pushed himself into a sitting position in front of her. He dipped his head. "Thanks."

"I knew you could do it." Zahna lifted a paw, reaching for him, then stopped and withdrew it again, pulling it to her chest and looking down sadly. A sigh escaped her.

"What is it?" Tyler asked.

"Nothing," Zahna responded, looking away. "I think that's enough for today."

Tyler took a mental inventory of himself and decided she was right. His shoulder was sore from pushing against the rock, and his paws ached from scraping against the rough ground. He was still breathing heavily, too. On top of that he still had a bruise or two from his match earlier against Aaron, not to mention the burn he had gotten, though that didn't hurt much now, thanks to the Clefairy's ministrations. He still wanted to know what had come over Zahna, but it was clear that the Umbreon was in no mood to answer questions. Maybe it had something to do with her family.

After a minute, the black Pokémon turned and left without any explanation. Tyler didn't follow her; he could tell that the Umbreon wanted to be alone. After a few minutes, though, when he was sure she would be away, he left the arena himself, hungry and thirsty. Heading back to the spring, he found that he wasn't the only one there. A fairly large group had gathered at the spring from the Pokémon that had been training in the arena. Tyler was small enough that he could slip between most of them, so he was able to get a drink. It might have just been his imagination, but the water seemed lower than before. He couldn't tell if there was still water trickling out and down the mountain, since he wasn't next to the rivulet and there hadn't been that much water flowing anyway. Moving further down the trail to the bushes Zahna had shown him, he found a smaller number of Pokémon there. _Apparently I'm not the only one who's hungry after training_ , he thought, amused. Inspecting the bushes, he realized one of them bore the rawstberries that the Clefairy Mara had given him earlier. _And I remembered all those names, too_. Pulling a blue berry off the plant, he moved over to a rock to be out of the way and ate it. It had a bitter taste to it, but Tyler found he didn't mind it much. Hopefully it would help his burn heal faster, too.

After he ate, Tyler strayed off the path. He found a patch of grass and rolled in it, delighting in the sensation after spending the last day on hard-packed dirt and stone. Laying on his back, he wriggled back and forth, letting out a contented sigh. It had been a good day.

After laying there for a while, Tyler rolled back onto his paws. The sun wasn't going to set for a while yet, and after the rest, he wanted to test out his new ability again. He returned to the arena, seeking out the rock that had given him so much trouble earlier. No one gave him a second glance, though he did notice that there were a lot fewer Pokémon than earlier. Crossing to the spot where Zahna had been training him, Tyler noted wryly that the ground in front of the rock was heavily scuffed. _It looks like I was just frantically scrambling around._ Which, thinking back, he might have been.

Tyler shook his head, pulling himself back to the present. He glanced around, hoping no one he knew was watching. He didn't notice Tess, Aaron and Erin, or their father, so he turned back to the rock. He set his shoulder and threw his weight against it as before, trying to recapture the feeling he had had the first time. Digging in his paws, Tyler repeated Zahna's words in his mind: **_You_** _move_ **_it_**. Growling in the back of his throat, Tyler forced the rock back as his power triggered again. He advanced a full foot before it wore off again. It had been easier to find that time. Easier than the first time he tried to use his speed ability on purpose, too. Maybe it was because Zahna had explained to him how his power worked. _Also, why is it that every time I manage to move the rock, I'm growling? Maybe that's just how it's done,_ Tyler decided with a flicker of amusement. If he needed to growl to use his power, then that's what he would do.

Now, though, he really was tired. Feeling for his power, he could tell it was only a spark compared to normal. The day's training had taken about everything he had. He was panting again too; even with his power helping, moving the rock still wore him out. _And I guess I've never tried to push anything around like this, either._ Maybe, like traveling, it would get easier.

Tyler trailed out of the arena, slumped down so that his tail almost dragged on the ground instead of waving back and forth like it did normally. Despite his exhaustion, he felt good about the day. He had learned a lot, and Zahna had helped him unlock a new ability, one that would surely help when Catchers found him again.

The sun was low now, sinking toward the horizon. Tyler got another drink from the spring (the water had filled back up) and returned to Zahna's den to rest. The mouth of her den was in shadow already, since the sun shone in in the mornings. The Umbreon herself was nowhere to be seen. Probably out somewhere, doing whatever it was Umbreon did at night. Hopefully she wouldn't mind that he came into her den again to sleep. Tyler flopped over on his side, happy to be off his paws, which felt raw from walking on hard, rough surfaces everywhere. He yawned, and sleep overtook him quickly.


	15. Trial by Fire

Tyler woke the next day to find Zahna sleeping on her ledge again. Not really wanting to repeat what had happened the previous morning, he got up and left her den, stepping as lightly as he could; she only stirred a little. Once he had reached a safe distance, he started moving normally, no longer worried about the sound. He also took the opportunity to stretch, something he hadn't wanted to do where the Umbreon could hear. Checking his side, he found that the berry paste Mara had put on him had dried and was flaking off. He brushed at it and saw that the skin visible through his burned fur no longer had an angry red color. Tyler licked at it tentatively. It still hurt to touch, but not very badly, and he barely noticed it when he was just moving around.

He continued to where the berry bushes were. There were noticeably fewer ripe berries left on the bushes that morning; a lot of the Pokémon who had been training must have foraged here afterward. He still didn't know where they all came from or how far away they lived. That morning, there was no sign of anyone else. Maybe they just weren't there yet. After considering the bushes for a moment, Tyler decided he should have another Rawst berry to help with the burn he had gotten. He absently wondered what the other berries were called. Maybe he should ask sometime.

After eating and drinking, Tyler made his way up to the arena. That was deserted too. Where was everyone? Confused, he circled around the downhill edge, climbing up the stones and peering over. He could see a few Pokémon out there, but none were close, and none of them seemed to be coming his way.

Starting to get bored now, Tyler sighed and headed back down the familiar path to the spring. This time, he saw Tess there. The Machop still looked tired. "Where is everyone?" he asked, trotting up. She looked over at him.

"Oh. Good morning, Tyler. How are you today?"

"Where is everyone?" Tyler repeated. "Sorry… Good morning to you too."

Tess looked at him in surprise. "Where is… Oh, right. We don't do training every day. Only every couple days. So they're probably staying by their dens or doing whatever. I live close by here, though."

"What about Aaron and Erin?" Tyler had wanted to see the two Vulpix again. They were the closest Pokémon to his age he'd met in a while, and they had both been friendly.

The Machop bit her lip. "I'm not quite sure." She pointed. "I think they live somewhere over there. At least, that's the trail they usually arrive here from."

Tyler nodded. "I'm gonna go see."

"Okay. I'll see you around."

Tyler set off down the trail Tess had indicated. It wound further up the mountain into an even rockier area; there was no grass here, only occasional bushes and shrubs. He passed smaller side trails here and there. Some of them bore sounds and smells of Pokémon, but not Vulpix and Ninetales. Finally, he came across a trail with a familiar scent. It only went a short distance before ending at a cleft in the rock. A harsh voice greeted him. "Who's there?" Tyler froze, and after a moment a female Ninetales came into view. "Oh" she said, her voice noticeably softer. "Just an Eevee."

 _You sound just like Zahna,_ Tyler thought. Out loud, he said, "I'm Tyler. I was training with Andreas and..." He paused, sorting over the twin Vulpixes' names before realizing that it didn't matter. "…Aaron yesterday. Ummm… Are they here?"

The Ninetales dipped her head. "Yes, Andreas is here. Our children are out, playing. Did you want to see them?"

Tyler nodded. He'd sort of wanted to ask Andreas about training, but the two Vulpix probably knew too, and Tyler felt more comfortable around them.

The Ninetales turned to look over her shoulder. They're probably a little ways further up there."

"Okay, thanks. See you." Tyler dipped his head respectfully before turning and heading in the direction she had indicated. Even though they were friendly enough, something about both Andreas and his mate was a little intimidating.

Climbing up some rocks that led around the side of the Ninetales' den, Tyler found himself in a rocky area that resembled a smaller arena. One noticeable difference was large patches of moss that grew on the rocks, which he was a little grateful for. He still wasn't used to walking on hard stone everywhere, and so he stuck to the moss as much as he could. It didn't take long before he heard the excited yips and growls of the two Vulpix up ahead. When they came into view, all he could make out was a confusion of orange tails. After a moment, Erin saw him, nudged her brother, and the two straightened up.

Erin was the first to speak. "Hi there! I didn't think we'd see you today!"

"How did you find us?" her brother added.

Tyler was momentarily unsure what to say. "Hi," he mumbled shyly. "I… I was wondering about training, and your father…"

"OH. Nah, we only train every other day," Aaron informed him. "Well, only seriously every other day. Sometimes we practice here at home."

"Just with your parents?" Tyler asked. That was familiar.

"Nah," Aaron said again. "Just by ourselves, mostly. Mother and Father let us do pretty much whatever around here."

Tyler sat down. "So what are you doing right now?"

"Playing tag. Want to join?"

Tyler hesitated. He hadn't played with anyone in a long time, and it felt a little strange now, especially since he didn't know the Vulpix very well. "Well…"

That was as far as he got. Erin solved his dilemma by suddenly springing at him, bowling him over and yelling "Tag!" She sprinted away, and after a heartbeat's pause Aaron went the other direction.

Tyler rolled back onto his paws, a familiar excitement sweeping over him that he hadn't felt in a long time. He took off after the laughing Vulpix, his heart lighter than it had been since he was separated from his family.

The three young Pokémon played for a while until exertion, hunger, and thirst drove them back to rest and eat. Tyler followed his new friends as they approached their den; the two Vulpix entered confidently, but Tyler hung back, unsure, until Erin called back to him, "Come on! It's fine." Tyler entered the cave, looking around at his first glimpse of their home. It was larger than he had expected; he could have run for several seconds before reaching the back wall. Most dens were only a little larger than their occupants. _This is a cave, though. I guess they didn't have to dig it out themselves._ The two Ninetales were stretched out side by side on the floor; Andreas had arched his neck to lick his mate behind the ears. When they saw the three young Pokémon, she heaved herself to her paws, stretching.

"Back to eat? Is it that time already?"

The two little Vulpix nodded seriously. "I'm _starving!_ " Aaron added.

"Oh, Mother, is it all right if Tyler eats with us too?" Erin asked.

She nodded, and Andreas padded up beside her. "That should be fine."

"All right. Over here, Tyler." Aaron and his sister started over to a rock. It turned out to have a hollow, where there were a number of berries stored. That was something Tyler hadn't seen before. Some things about this family reminded him of his own, but some were very different. Erin and Aaron quickly grabbed a few berries, then went over to lay down a few feet away. Tyler approached it and looked over the different berries. Most of them he didn't recognize; they didn't have any of the forest berries here. He did, however, see the blue shape of a Rawst berry, and the yellow nodules of the sour one he had tried several days back. After considering for a moment, he took one he didn't recognize, but that didn't smell too exotic. He padded over to where the Vulpix lay and crouched down, holding it between his front paws and taking a bite. He still didn't feel completely comfortable here; it was strange eating in another family's den.

"You were raised well, I can tell," the female Ninetales remarked, watching him.

Tyler swallowed. "Thanks…" He paused awkwardly. He still didn't know what to call Andreas's mate.

"Forgive me," she interrupted. "My name is Martha."

Tyler dipped his head. "Thanks, Martha."

They finished eating, and the two Vulpix scampered to their paws. "Okay, we're going out again," Aaron announced. "Come on, Tyler!"

Tyler thought about it for a minute. It would be fun, but he did want to get back. Zahna might be wondering where he was, although he didn't know that. He also wanted to train and learn some more about his energy, whether or not it was actually a training day. He sighed. "Actually, I probably need to go back now."

Andreas and Martha both nodded. "You're welcome to come back any time," Martha told him. She fixed her children with a look. "Sometimes I wish you two were as well-behaved as he is."

Tyler didn't know about that. He just didn't feel as comfortable around adult Pokémon. "Um, thanks. Bye." After looking around at all of them, he turned and left the den.

As he walked back down the trail, a voice made him turn. "Bye! See you tomorrow!" It was Erin, calling out to him as she and her brother curved back up behind their den to where they had played that morning.

"See you tomorrow!" he called back.

Time stretched on into hours, then days, then weeks. The summer weather stayed mostly sunny and hot, but sometimes clouds and rain rolled across the sky, bringing a welcome change from the heat. Tyler found that he was usually busy with something. He trained with Andreas, the other young Pokémon, and Zahna. Zahna focused on teaching him how to use his powers, helping him improve his speed and strength abilities. Once he was more comfortable with them, she taught him a new move where his power actually launched him forward in a rush. It was hard to control, though, and while it was very effective it usually sent him rolling across the ground after the impact, sometimes running up painfully against a rock.

Andreas's training mostly consisted of "how to take a hit." The Ninetales told him that his training at home had honed his reflexes and helped him attack more effectively than many Pokémon his age, but that he still needed to learn how to better handle himself when he was the one being attacked. Andreas would put him into training against others who could attack from a distance, having him dodge when he could and roll with the attacks when he couldn't. The Ninetales taught the young Pokémon that different attacks had to be handled in certain ways if you couldn't dodge. Some, like tackles and blasts in general, were best taken by bracing for the hit, while twisting to the side worked better against cutting or burning attacks so that they didn't land solidly. Against forceful attacks, like water, it was often better to let it sweep you off your paws instead of absorbing the brunt of the blow. Andreas's training sessions were exhausting. Tyler had never imagined that there could be so much to being hit, but he knew that everything he was learning would be important when he met Catchers, or even just unfriendly Pokémon, so he worked as hard as he could, and he could tell that he was getting better.

Sometimes he would play with the Vulpix siblings, and occasionally with others. He and Aaron sparred frequently, both during and outside training, testing their new abilities. Tyler found that physically, he heavily overmatched the fox Pokémon, but Aaron's other abilities evened things out. Over time, he improved his copy attack to the point that Tyler couldn't tell which was which Vulpix was the real one until he actually made contact. Mother's spray of leaves would have helped in that situation, he thought, but without any distance attacks he had to guess and hope he could take down the real Aaron before he got hit with a confusion ball or a burst of flame.

One technique he did learn for dealing with the Vulpix's confusion attacks was to charge straight in and trigger his new ability as soon as he was hit. It didn't matter how dizzy he was; that one would always launch him straight ahead, and unless Aaron was ready for him he could land a solid blow, knocking them both end over end (which didn't really matter, as Tyler already couldn't tell up from down at that point) and giving Tyler a few moments to clear his head before the Vulpix attacked him again.

Erin sometimes watched them, but she didn't usually join in. Sometimes she wouldn't be there, and Aaron said she had other friends that she sparred with. Tyler didn't see much of the female Vulpix's abilities, except that she was much better at making copies than her brother. She could already make two while she moved, and she could handle more than that if she was sitting still. Tyler remembered that they had said their mother could handle five at once while she attacked as well. It seemed that her daughter would be able to do that too.

Between his different training and sparring sessions, it seemed to Tyler that he almost always had a cut or bruise – or several – somewhere. Rawst berries were also becoming a large part of his diet. Despite Andreas's warnings, both Aaron and Tyler tended to get a little competitive, and fire attacks came into play more and more as their sparring matches got more intense. Tyler had gotten more used to burns, and Andreas's training helped him take the fire attacks too. While they were competitive, the two never lost their tempers or focus, so the burns weren't bad. The constant training was making him more resilient; Tyler found himself shrugging off injuries that would have left him curled in a sobbing ball just a few months before. He could hold his own against most of the other Pokémon his age, and in fact found himself winning more often than he lost. He was still pretty sure that he didn't stand a chance against Andreas or Zahna. The Umbreon would sometimes use herself as his target, and colliding with her felt like hitting a wall. Even using his enhanced speed, strength, and force, he had never managed to drive her back more than a step or two when he hit. Tyler was still secretly proud of Mother, though; he could remember her absorbing the impact of a charging Nidoking and then forcing it back without lifting a paw. Even Zahna couldn't do that.

Over time, he got to know more of the Pokémon around, and he started getting friendly greetings when he came to training sessions, even from some adult Pokémon he wouldn't actually spar against. Tyler found himself enjoying being somewhere social again; being alone all the time was… well, lonely. He did find himself missing the forest, and Ryan, occasionally.

One morning, when Tyler woke up, he stayed where he was instead of padding quietly out of Zahna's den like he usually did. The Umbreon was asleep on the ledge where she always was; Tyler knew he wouldn't see her until around noon. Rather than leave, he simply lay there, thinking about his life. Things were a lot different for him here; he was always with other Pokémon, and he trained more frequently and more intensely than he and his siblings had with Father and Mother. He missed his family, too, but it didn't overwhelm him anymore. Sometimes he worried that meant he was forgetting about them. This morning, Tyler pictured their faces and imagined their voices. What might they be doing? Tyler knew that wherever he was, Father would be doing his best to protect the Pokémon he was with. Mother would be taking care of them, too. Tyler wondered if they ever thought about him and wondered where he was.

And was his family together? Tyler didn't know. He didn't know where they were, really. He just knew that he needed to look until he found them. That was one of the reasons he had come here. He had crept out a few times, mostly in the darkness when there were few Catchers around, to look over the town. At night, he could tell it was much larger than the others he had seen by the way the lights stretched on and on. Sometimes there were sounds that he could hear even from the ridge. It was more than a little intimidating, and so he stayed, training and hoping that would give him the confidence to go in.

His thoughts turned to his siblings. Carson and Kara had probably both been caught. With a mild start, he realized that they had probably evolved by now too. When he met them again, they could be anything. Skylar… Tyler didn't know where his brother was. Hopefully he'd gotten away, but then why had he never come back? What about Sasha? Tyler sighed, and Zahna stirred, disrupting his reverie for a moment. However, the Umbreon just settled back down again, her breathing regular, and Tyler turned back to his thoughts. Evolution was coming for him, as surely as the sun rose. His energy was still getting stronger as time went on, which Zahna had confirmed was a definite sign in Eevee that he was getting ready to evolve. He could feel it pulsing inside him all the time now, not just when he focused. What would he be? Tyler hadn't given it much thought; every time the question came up he pushed it away. He knew he didn't want to be a Flareon or a Jolteon, and Erin had teased him a few times about evolving into a pink Sylveon, so he _definitely_ wasn't going to do that.

With the rest… it was still too much. There were five other forms Eevee could take, and one of them would change his life permanently. He didn't know which to choose, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to change at all. It was just so inexorable. With an effort, he pushed the thoughts out of his mind again, focusing on that day's training session. Wanting to get away from his thoughts and memories, Tyler got up quietly and went to eat and drink. As usual on training days, the Ninetales and Vulpix were already there at the bushes. Martha, Andreas's mate, was with them, which happened every so often. They exchanged friendly greetings, and the fox family, who were already halfway done eating, waited for him to finish too so they could go up to the arena together. Conscious of this, Tyler ate as quickly as he could without wolfing down the spicy berry he had chosen. Then they all went to the spring to drink. Tyler chatted with the two Vulpix about what they were going to do that day, while their parents watched quietly. Finally all ready, they made their way up the path and through the crevice into the arena.

They were some of the first there that day, so Tyler, Erin, and Aaron played a little while Andreas waited for the rest of his charges to arrive. Martha walked over to an Onix – not Sten, Tyler was pretty sure, and soon the two squared off. The three young Pokémon stopped what they were doing to watch. Tyler's ears pricked up. This was going to be interesting, and he had never actually seen the Ninetales in a fight. Maybe he needed to arrive earlier. The Onix moved first, whipping its tail up and over to slam down on top of its opponent. Martha leaped to the side – except she leaped in all directions at once. Tyler's eyes widened. He'd seen how much trouble Aaron had with that copy move, but suddenly Martha was everywhere, darting in and out and occasionally firing off different attacks from all sides. The Onix, apparently prepared for this kind of thing, lashed out in a horizontal sweep. It passed through some of the Ninetales, but didn't do anything. Two of them leaped over the tail. One of them had to be Martha. The real one. Tyler still wasn't sure how many copies there were; things were moving too quickly for him to count. As the match continued, all of the Marthas bunched together, then split up again. She continued her assault, using strange attacks Tyler had never seen before. Some of it was fire, but even then, sometimes it came in shades of blue or purple, which Tyler hadn't ever seen before. The Onix retaliated, but usually the flying stones passed through their intended target.

Eventually the Onix found the real Ninetales, pulling her into a stone coil, but by then it was too late. Andreas's mate breathed a stream of lavender flame right into its face, and its coils slackened, the Onix's strength depleted. They separated, saying something to each other that Tyler couldn't quite catch, then Martha padded tiredly over.

"That was great, dear," Andreas told her, giving her a lick.

"Thanks," Martha responded. "It was tough, though. She knew what she was doing."

"That was awesome, Mother!" Aaron interjected. Tyler nodded in agreement, his eyes still wide. _How can she handle all that? It makes my head hurt just watching her._

The Ninetales accepted the praise with a dip of the head, then stretched out in the shade to rest. Other Pokémon were pouring in now, and soon the training started in earnest.

It would have been a normal day, but things came to a head for Tyler when Tess evolved. He was waiting between training exercises with the other young Pokémon, watching the amiable Machop. She had just thrown her opponent to the ground, when suddenly she started glowing white. The light built to a painful intensity, and when it faded, she looked a lot different, taller and bulkier. For Tyler, though, watching it unexpectedly sent him into a panic. It took him almost a minute to calm down and get his breathing under control, though his heart was still pounding. No one had noticed, but he felt ashamed for some reason. Thinking it over, he realized that it must have something to do with the way he was hiding from his fears, from moving on. He couldn't just stay here and train forever; Tyler could tell it was time to act. Evolution he wasn't ready for, but right now he could stop training endlessly and actually start looking for his family. He quietly went up to Andreas and excused himself. As he left the arena, he turned back once to look. Then Tyler pulled himself away. He had to do this.

Returning to Zahna's den, Tyler looked inside. There she was, still asleep. Gathering his courage, he stood in the entrance and called, "Zahna?" The Umbreon was more used to him being there and didn't react as violently to being woken now, but he wasn't going to touch her – that seemed like a bad idea. And she was probably going to be irritated with him for waking her up.

The Umbreon's head snapped up. "What is it? Oh, Tyler. What are you doing?"

 _I have to do this._ "I need your help." He hoped that she would be willing.

There was a sigh. "With what?"

"I can't just stay here anymore. I came to this town to find my family, and I have to go looking for them. But first I need to do something else." Tyler took a deep breath. "I have to challenge a Catcher."

She looked at him aghast. "Why would you ever do that?"

"I'm going in. But I need to know if I can take care of myself against the Catchers around here, if I can keep myself safe if anyone in the town sees me. That's what I've been training for. The Catchers have my family."

Zahna looked at him, a new light in her red eyes. Respect. "On that, we agree. I'm tired of Catchers breaking families apart." She looked at him. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"I… I don't want to get caught. I don't know if I'm strong enough, but I have to try. Can you watch me? And…" Tyler trailed off.

Zahna gave him a tender look. "I won't let them have you," she said softly. She turned and left the den. "Wait here. Or come if you want," she called over her shoulder. "I need to get something to eat."

Tyler decided to wait. Watching the black Pokémon eat would probably just make him impatient. After a few minutes, she came back and looked at him. Tyler understood. This was his plan; he had to take the lead. Giving Zahna a nod, he turned and headed down toward the road the Catchers used.

It didn't take him long to find one of them, a female with long brown hair. Tyler hesitated and swallowed nervously despite himself. What he was about to do went against every last instinct he had to stay out of sight and avoid Catchers at all costs. Tyler looked back to reassure himself that Zahna was still there. The Umbreon nodded at him and gave him an encouraging smile. Steeling himself, Tyler took a deep breath and stepped out of cover onto the road, facing the girl, who was still some distance away. She saw him immediately and broke into a run, her face lighting up as she shouted excitedly and pulled out a ball. _Ryan was right. They do all want me, not just the one I saw before._

Closing the distance, the Catcher threw the ball. It bounced on the ground in front of him, and a Furret appeared. Tyler's pulse quickened. This was it. _I'm in a fight, with a Catcher. Time to see how much I've learned._ She shouted at it excitedly, and it came at him, quicker than he had expected, bringing a clawed paw back to slice at him. Tyler was ready, though. Not waiting for the attack to land, he triggered his speed ability and hit the Furret in the side, sending it lurching away. Without waiting for Catcher or Pokémon to respond, Tyler charged in and sank his teeth into the Furret's scruff. Growling with the effort, he used his second ability. Tyler spun on his paws, swinging the Furret's whole body around as he pivoted to slam it hard into a rock. His opponent hit the ground and sprang quickly back to its paws, hurt but not out of the fight yet. Not wanting to lose his advantage, the Eevee charged again, but this time the Furret responded to its Catcher's shout by curling its long body into a circle and spinning at him in a blur. There was no way for Tyler to dodge and no time to use any of his powers, so he went limp as it hit and let the impact carry him to the ground. The Furret rolled over him and away.

Tyler rolled back to his paws, finding his opponent crouching to spring a few feet away. It sprang at him, ready to deliver another slicing blow, and Tyler threw himself forward and down, flipping onto his back to slide underneath it while shielding his face with his paws. Claws caught his foreleg and side, leaving nasty slashes, but Tyler gritted his teeth and kicked upwards with his hind paws, catching the Furret hard in the stomach as it passed over. It gasped in pain, crumpling as it hit the ground on his other side. It got up again to come at him. This time, Tyler used his new ability, the one Zahna had been teaching him. He launched himself at his opponent, leaving the ground for a moment and driving headfirst into it like a missile. The impact hurt; it was hard enough to drive the breath out of Tyler himself. The Furret was sent flying, landing hard several yards away, he noted with the part of his mind that wasn't in pain. It didn't get up, and Tyler grunted in satisfaction as the Catcher returned it to its ball. The Furret was bigger than he was, and it hadn't been tired or anything. He'd beaten it himself.

Tyler's attention turned back to the Catcher, who now had a second ball in her hand. He was breathing hard, and he knew the slice he'd gotten would make it harder for him to move normally. He gritted his teeth again against the pain as the Catcher threw her ball out. A fluffy yellow form emerged that he recognized: Mareep. The sheep Pokémon had been a common sight down in the grasslands, but Tyler hadn't seen any up here. All he knew about them was that they could shock things. As the thought crossed his mind, the Mareep's wool started to puff up and emit a crackling noise. Tyler limped a pace to the side, favoring his hurt foreleg, then ignored it with a conscious effort and continued circling. It didn't hurt too badly to walk on. The Catcher pointed at him and shouted, a single sharp sound, and the Mareep responded by sending a spark at him. It hit in a blink, too fast for him to move, and Tyler's fur stood on end as the lightning attack passed through him, leaving a sharp stinging pain in his side where it had gotten him. At the same moment, the Mareep's coat shrunk to half its size. The sting made him flinch back for a moment, and his opponent started puffing up again. Not wanting to give the sheep Pokémon a second shot, Tyler used his speed ability to dart in in a blur, putting a shoulder solidly into its face. He didn't see what the effect was, though, because as soon as he made contact there was a crack, and another shock coursed through him. Tyler's whole body went numb, and he collapsed in a heap. With an effort, Tyler turned to look at his opponent, his breath coming in gasps now. He'd never been hit by electricity before. This was bad.

Fortunately, his hit had knocked the Mareep away from him. It was getting back on its feet now, and the Catcher was thankfully focusing her attention on it for the moment. Moving stiffly, Tyler gingerly climbed back to stand on his paws, wavering uncertainly. The numbness was starting to disperse now, and he took a careful step. Running would be out of the question now, at least until the sensation went away. How was he supposed to fight something he couldn't touch anyway? Maybe if he only hit it right after _it_ attacked…

Thinking about the Mareep had distracted him, but a movement caught his eye. The Catcher had another ball in her hand, and as he looked up she cocked her arm back and threw it – at him! Time stood still for a moment. Tyler already knew he couldn't get out of the way.

A voice growled behind him, "Oh no, you don't," and Tyler was suddenly rammed to the side. _Zahna_. In the heat of battle, Tyler had forgotten about her. Lying on the ground, Tyler saw her disappear into the ball in a flash of light. He gasped, horrified. _I didn't mean that! I don't want you to get caught, not like Mother and Father._

The ball hit the ground and lay still. Then, without warning, it shattered in a violent explosion. The Umbreon reappeared, looking angrier than Tyler had ever seen her, and immediately launched herself at the Catcher. The Mareep got in her way. "You – Will – Not – Take – Him!" she snarled, punctuating each word with a headbutt, shoulder tackle, or leg sweep, belaboring the Mareep heedless of its shocks. After just a few seconds, the sheep Pokémon collapsed under the violence of her assault, laid out flat on the ground. As Tyler pulled himself back into a sitting position, the Catcher called back her Mareep, shock evident on her face. Zahna charged her again, but the Catcher already had another ball in her other hand, and a blue reptilian Pokémon Tyler didn't recognize appeared. It had huge teeth and stood a head taller than the Umbreon. She launched herself on it regardless. This one withstood her attacks, though, and in a pause it swiped her with a claw, opening a wound in her shoulder. The Umbreon skipped back a pace, a low growl building in her throat. She didn't move for a moment, and Tyler wondered why – then he noticed that all of her rings were fading to black. He didn't think it was from being hurt – this had to be something she hadn't shown him yet. As the last trace of yellow faded away, Zahna closed her eyes, leaving her momentarily as dark as if she were nothing but a shadow. Then she opened them, her growl ending as she shouted _"ENOUGH!"_ and the blackness leapt out from her body in a wave. It hit her opponent, who huddled defensively and staggered. The next moment, the shockwave hit Tyler himself. A wave of awful blackness swept over him.

 _Zahna watched in satisfaction as her Croconaw opponent staggered, dropping to a knee as it wrestled with the effects of her attack. Let's see you slash and bite at me now, she thought. It lifted its head to look at her, and she saw fear in those eyes. Good. She launched herself at it again, snarling her anger at the Catchers who dared take the ones she cared about, and at the Pokémon who helped them. There was no finesse to her attacks now; she rammed the Croconaw directly in the chest, bowling it over. Standing atop her opponent, she glared at the female Catcher. The Catcher reacted quickly, vanishing the Croconaw from underneath her with its ball and turning to run. Zahna landed easily. Part of her wanted to pursue, but she had someone to protect here. She turned back to look at Tyler and gasped._

 _The Eevee lay on the ground where he had fallen, eyes tightly closed and teeth bared in a grimace, twitching and spasming occasionally. Each time he moved, the Umbreon felt sympathetic shivers run down her spine._ I did this, _she realized in horror. In her mind's eye, Zahna saw her son lying there, helpless. Instinctively, she looked up at the sky, and her heart sank. The sun was still high in the sky; moonrise was hours away. There was nothing she could do, and she didn't know any other Pokémon around who could help either. Not with this. Tears of remorse welled up in her red eyes and dripped down her face in a burning stream as she tenderly picked the Eevee up and carried him back to her den. Not knowing what else to do, Zahna lay down and wrapped herself around Tyler's small form, hoping to impart some comfort to him. The spasms continued unabated, though, and Zahna waited in guilt-ridden agony for darkness to fall and the moon to rise. When it finally did, she left the Eevee in her den and went out to sit in the open, drawing the moonlight into her body. Thankfully, the moon was near full that night, and there were no clouds in the sky to hinder its rays. It filled her, and still she drew it in, until her rings glowed a pure silvery white and she physically hurt from the effort of containing more energy than she was ever meant to. The claw marks on her shoulder sealed closed, and she started in surprise. The pain had been there, but Zahna had forgotten all about the injury from the Croconaw. She breathed deeply, seeking reassurance from her healing. Moonlight could heal her, but she didn't know if it would work on someone else. She could only hope. Rushing the few paces back to her den, she stood over the injured Eevee, limned in silver from her glow, and poured the light into him, hoping to counter her dark pulse with it._

 _Please be enough. Zahna whispered the words to herself, over and over again._


	16. Running From Fate

Tyler was trapped in a nightmare, running for his life through the forest, sometimes alone, sometimes with his family, and sometimes with pokémon he didn't even know. Catchers and their pokémon constantly appeared through the trees, forcing the eevee to dodge and run another way, biting back sobs of fear. Over and over again, Father and Mother appeared to help him, only to be set upon and captured. All of the others met the same fate, no matter how often they appeared, leaving only Tyler to run on, alone, through the middle of it all as the Catchers pursued him endlessly. Sometimes the scene would shift into memory, and he would be forced to relive the horrors of that morning – the real ones: Mother limping poisoned through the woods, Kara being taken, leaving Father behind – or sometimes other memories would surface, and she would be rushing into a clearing, too late, as a Catcher took her son away. _That's not right. I'm not a she. I don't have a son. Do I_? Nothing made sense in this confusion of darkness. Watching the endless cycle of suffering wheeling around with him at its center robbed him of hope. All he could do now was make them pay. _And I don't even know who they are._

As he passed under a tree, Tyler saw white light pour down from the sky. It seemed to be burning away everything it touched, and Tyler drew back into the shadow of the tree as far as he could, afraid of this new development. The light ate through the tree's canopy, shafts shining through to the ground around him, and he took shelter under a crook in its trunk, huddling next to the roots. All around, other trees were suffering the same fate, slowly disappearing into the light from the top down. The Catchers and all of the other pokémon were gone, leaving Tyler alone in a world that was disappearing into white. Finally, the tree trunk gave way, and the light touched him.

In a moment, he found himself floating, with nothing around him but more white light playing back and forth in undulating waves like an aurora. A four-legged figure suddenly appeared up in front of him, glowing brighter than anything around it. Tyler couldn't make out any details, but the figure was only a little larger than he was.

 **Come with me.** The words rang clearly through Tyler's mind, though no voice accompanied them.

"Who are you?" Tyler asked it.

 **You.**

 _Me? How can it be me? Unless…_ Tyler looked more closely. Four legs, larger than he was, ears and tail that came to points… _Am I evolving? Or going to evolve?_ The more he looked, the more the silhouette looked like an umbreon, and his last memories came flooding back. He remembered Zahna's rage washing over him, plunging him into this nightmare. "No." _I don't want to be an umbreon. I can't._

 **No?**

"I can't be an umbreon."

Without another word, the figure turned and started to walk away. Tyler called after it in desperation. "How do I get out of here?"

 **Up.** The glowing umbreon continued without stopping until it disappeared into the curtains of light.

 _Up?_ Tyler looked up for the first time and saw a light far above him. _How do I get there?_ He straightened his legs, and to his surprise felt a solid surface underneath him, though he could see nothing.

As he stepped up, he again felt a surface beneath his paws, and Tyler started climbing to the light above him. It took a long time, but he finally pulled himself up to stand in front of the bright sphere. Cautiously, he put a paw out to touch it. It washed through him in a warming stream, and then everything went dark.

Tyler found himself lying on his side. He hurt all over, and he felt exhausted. The cuts on his leg were back. _Does this mean I'm awake?_ He opened his eyes to see red eyes and glowing yellow rings and flinched involuntarily.

"Are you all right?" Zahna's voice was hoarse. "Please tell me you're all right."

"No… I'm not. I feel awful." Tyler wasn't sure he wanted to tell Zahna this, but he pressed on. "When that… attack hit me, I could feel everything you feel for the Catchers. How much you hate them. The whole time in my dream, when I was running, it was pushing into me." Tears started streaming down his face. "I can't be like… like that." _Like you_ , Tyler thought, but he cut it off, not wanting to hurt her, even after what had happened. "I've _never_ felt that way. Even when they took my family… All I ever wanted was to find them and get them back."

The eyes closed, and Tyler heard the umbreon start sobbing. "I'm so, so sorry. I never wanted you to get hurt."

Tyler wasn't sure what to do. He felt like he should put a comforting paw on her, but he couldn't bring himself to. Then a detail from his dreams fell into place. "Those were your memories – weren't they."

"What?" Zahna turned her head to look at him again.

"I saw… well, a lot of things." Tyler shook his head. He didn't want to describe his nightmare to her, didn't want to relive any of it. "Some memories. In one of them, I was running into a clearing, watching my… watching my _son_ get taken away." He looked up at her. "That was your memory, wasn't it?"

She nodded sadly. "I never saw Will after that. That's why… when you showed up that night, wanting to train… I wanted to help you. To make you strong. I decided I wouldn't let them take you like they took my son. That I would be there to protect you." The umbreon gave another small sob. "You remind me so much of him. I'm so sorry that you got caught in my attack."

"What happened after that?" Tyler asked.

"Well… I won." She sighed. "I was proud of myself – until I saw you, and realized what I had done. I brought you back here, but I couldn't do anything for you. I'm sorry. I didn't know the pulse could hurt you that badly."

Tyler said nothing. It had. Zahna went on. "All I could do was wait. I half wished I could die… but then, finally, the moon came out. I went outside and gathered as much as I could for you. I came back and used it on you. That was hours ago. You started glowing white – I thought you were evolving, but then it went away again. At least you seemed to relax after that." The umbreon started to cry again.

To Tyler's surprise, he realized he didn't feel any anger toward her. Not anymore. When he had gotten hurt, it had shattered her. He had never seen Zahna like this. All the hardness was gone, broken away by remorse, and somehow he wasn't afraid of her anymore, even after what had happened to him.

But he still had to say it, as much to admit the truth to himself as to tell her. "If I have to hate the Catchers like that… if that's what it takes to win… I can't do it." Something had broken inside him that night. Tyler could feel it, a raw wound in his heart. He couldn't be the same anymore. He had lost to the Catcher, proving he couldn't take care of himself when they found him, and Zahna's attack, all the pain it had caused him, had shown him both what he faced and what it took to overcome it.

When he spoke again, the words tasted like bitter defeat. "I'm going home. I can't stay here anymore."

The umbreon opened her mouth to protest, but he shook his head wearily, and she subsided. "I thought about it. A lot. I don't stand a chance against one Catcher. If I go into that town, I probably won't come back. And I can't be what you are, either. I'm done."

Tyler struggled to his paws and nearly collapsed again. "You're in no shape to go anywhere," Zahna told him, apparently recovering a little from her depression. "You're staying here until you're well enough." Before he could protest, she picked him up by the scruff and carried him out of her den. Tyler hadn't been carried like that since he was a kit, but he knew he didn't have the strength to move on his own now. She brought him to the spring, placing him close enough to the water so that he didn't have to stand up to drink. "Wait here," the umbreon instructed him, a little unnecessarily. She disappeared back down the dark path. Tyler turned his head to the water, lapping at it gratefully. After a minute, the black pokémon reappeared, her rings glowing in the moonlight and a spray of different berries dangling from her mouth. "Eat. You need your strength… I hope you like these." Tyler could tell that the umbreon was trying to make up for hurting him. He pulled a few berries to himself and ate, not really tasting them. The water was making him feel a little better, but his leg and side hurt and he was bruised all over. It was his heart that hurt the most, though. Now that he had decided to… leave, to abandon his quest, Tyler felt empty. _Maybe this is why I never hear about pokémon getting rescued from Catchers. They're just too strong. I can't fight them. All I can do is go home. I don't know what will come next._

He finished eating. A little strength had started to come back to him, so he got up and slowly trailed back to Zahna's den, the tip of his tail dragging on the path. She followed behind, hovering over him in case he fell again. Rounding the last corner before reaching the umbreon's den, Tyler saw that the sky was lightening on the horizon. Morning was coming, and he was still exhausted. Turning to glance back at Zahna, he suddenly realized that she didn't look much better than he did. Her ears drooped back, and her rings were barely visible. _She didn't sleep at all. She was up watching me all night._ Tyler felt an unexpected warmth for the umbreon. Though she had made a mistake, Zahna was clearly doing everything in her power for him.

They entered her den together, and Zahna ushered him to a corner. "You can sleep here. It'll be shaded when the sun comes up."

"What about you?"

Zahna looked him, a flash of her usual personality showing through. "I always sleep through the sunrise. But… wake me, if anything happens. Or if you need help. Or anything."

Tyler nodded tiredly. "Thanks." He curled up behind the shelf of rock she'd indicated. Fear gripped him for a moment, that he would find himself in that terrible dream again, but he was too exhausted to worry for long, and he fell asleep quickly. No dreams troubled him, and Tyler slept peacefully, much to his relief.

When he woke again, Tyler was in shadow. It wasn't dark, but the sun had moved away from the cave entrance and midafternoon shadows slanted down out front. The eevee didn't move immediately. Now that he felt mostly better, Tyler contemplated what to do next. He was heading home, that much was sure. _When should I leave?_ After a few minutes, he decided not to waste any time. He just wanted to get away from this place, to run away from his memories. His mind made up, Tyler got up and padded out of the den.

Zahna was nearby, and she turned at the sound. "Did you sleep well?"

Tyler nodded. "I did."

"You still don't sound very happy."

"I'm not." Tyler sighed. "I'm going home now." The umbreon looked at him sadly, and Tyler added, "Thanks for taking care of me… and for watching out for me all this time." He felt his throat start to choke up, but swallowed the feeling down. "But I have to go."

"I'm sorry things ended like this," the umbreon offered. "I don't know if you want it, but… if you ever come back, there's a place for you here."

"Thanks, Zahna." Tyler turned back toward the path. There were sounds of other pokémon, probably at the spring. Some of them he knew; Tyler thought he could pick out the sounds of the vulpix twins, but he didn't want to face any of them now. It was over. Physically, Tyler was fine; emotionally he felt lost. As he walked away from the place that had been his home for the last few weeks, there was a sudden pattering of running paws behind him.

As he started to turn around, a black paw wrapped around him, pulling him close as Zahna hugged him tightly to herself. "I'm sorry about everything that happened," she said, tears in her eyes. "I just wanted to tell you, before you go – I've loved having you around. You filled a little of the hole that Will left when they took him." Tyler started tearing up too, as emotion tugged at his raw heart. "I'm not asking you to stay. I know I'm the one who hurt you. But please – keep yourself safe."

Tyler nodded. He didn't know if he could speak. He didn't hate Zahna for what she'd done; he knew she cared about him. She wasn't why he was leaving; Tyler himself was. _I'm done pretending._ After a long moment, she let him go, and Tyler slowly but determinedly turned toward home, looking back at the umbreon one last time before he passed around a corner and was lost to view.

Back on the path again, Tyler made his way back down the slope, careful to stay out of sight. Memories assaulted him again. Most of them were good ones; Tyler was leaving friends behind, and he felt more dejected than ever. His mind was made up, though, and he didn't turn back. He knew when he'd lost.

Tyler stayed in the shadows as much as he could until the sun went down. After that, the temperature dropped noticeably, making it easier to move about without overheating or getting tired. After a few hours, he was regretting having left without eating or drinking anything, but he was able to hold out well enough to find the pond he had passed on the way there by smell. He considered stopping there for the night, but since he'd slept through most of the day he wasn't tired yet, so Tyler opted to travel on in the cool night air. The going was a lot easier without the heat, and Tyler found himself nearing the forest around midnight. He was getting a little tired, but he wasn't ready to stop yet; he decided he would find his bush in the forest, and then he would stop for the night. Or morning. Tyler just wanted the whole journey to be over with. Maybe then he could forget about everything.

The road turned here, and Tyler left the path he'd been on. Ascending a hill, he found himself looking back at the town he had explored with Ryan. It felt like forever ago. _Back then, I was just worried about my family. Things weren't like this._ A feeling of betrayal came over him; he was leaving his family behind. No one would come for them. No one else even cared. Only Tyler did, and now he was turning his back on them too. _Not that I even know where they are,_ he retorted silently. _How was I ever going to get them away from Catchers, anyway? I just wanted to believe that I could stand a chance… but I don't. There's nothing I can do._

Tyler passed into the trees, barely noticing the difference. After a while, he realized where he was. He thought about looking for Ryan, but he didn't want to have to face the quilava either. Ryan would be disappointed in him too, and Tyler didn't think he could take it. Maybe one day, when he had recovered somewhat, he could come back. He continued on, following the now-familiar path and stopping at the stream to drink. He had headed over to his bush and eaten a few berries from it when loneliness unexpectedly swept over him. Leaving everything behind had left a hole in his heart, and he suddenly changed his mind about looking for Ryan. He hoped the quilava wouldn't be cross at being woken in the middle of the night.

Tyler headed back to where Ryan's scrape was, but the quilava wasn't there. He was tempted to just stop there anyway, but now he really didn't want to spend the night alone, so in one final hope he headed in the direction of the only other place he'd seen the quilava frequent: Ryan's training area, deep in the forest. He followed the path back to where the stream widened into a river and found the clearing Ryan used to practice. The burnt smells were still there, marking the place clearly. He couldn't see the quilava, but then he heard a rustle in the undergrowth behind him. Tyler's heart leapt at the thought of seeing a familiar face, but his instincts urged caution. Checking that there was open space around him, he called out, "Who is it?"

A silky voice answered. "You don't know me? I certainly remember you, little eevee. I've been following you for a while now."

 _Little eevee_. The words resonated in Tyler's memory, and he was suddenly certain of his unknown follower's identity. _Little eevee_ was what the Meowth had called him the first time he had come here. Tyler shook his head. He was tired and frustrated… just like the first time the Meowth had antagonized him. This time, though, Tyler wasn't in the mood for a fight. He slumped a little. "Just leave me alone."

"Oh, you are alone. No quilava to protect you now."

At the Meowth's words, something flared inside Tyler. If Ryan was hurt… He growled softly. "Come out here and we'll see who needs protecting. I'm stronger than last time. A lot stronger."

There was another rustle of movement in the bushes. "So am I, little eevee. So am I." A feline form emerged, dimly visible in the forest shadows cast by the moonlight, and Tyler's heart sank. His assailant had evolved. The persian was over twice his height and far heavier and stronger. On top of that, it stood on four legs now instead of two, so his tactics from the first time would be worthless now. On the other hand, it didn't look burned anywhere, so it probably hadn't fought Ryan. Tyler doubted the quilava would have been easy to beat, even for a persian.

Tyler backed up warily. After losing to the Catcher, he didn't feel like this was a fight he could win. Sensing weakness, his opponent moved in and struck with a clawed swipe that would have laid open his shoulder and side, but Tyler's instincts, honed and combat-trained by his time with Andreas and Zahna, took over and he spun with the blow, taking it on his thick neck ruff. Without skipping a beat, as he had practiced, Tyler came out of the turn facing the persian and launched himself into it with his power, knocking them both down and across the clearing. He got up from where he had landed, but the persian was already up and advancing on him.

"You'll pay for that, little eevee," it hissed at him, malice in its

eyes. Rather than answer, Tyler used his first ability and dashed into it at top speed. Like Zahna, though, running into it felt like hitting a wall, and he looked up in dismay as his power wore off. A paw hooked underneath him, and the next moment Tyler found himself tossed into the air, out of control. He landed painfully a fair distance away, and as he looked back he saw the persian tearing toward him in a blur. "You're not the only one who can do that," it hissed, landing a painful slash all the way down his exposed head and back. Tyler cried out in pain, barely getting his head down in time to avoid losing an eye. The deep cuts hurt badly, and when he stood again, he could barely limp forward.

His assailant circled around him, looking on with undisguised glee. "Well now, you're not looking so good, are you? What shall we do next?" Tyler gritted his teeth. _Leave me alone. That's what you should do._ If he was going down, he would go down fighting. He couldn't run, but his third ability would launch him forward regardless of what condition he was in physically. Tyler took a deep breath, readying his power, and when his opponent passed in front of him, he let it go, rising off his paws into a forceful lunge. To his dismay, the persian twisted nimbly out of the way, and he went flying past it halfway across the clearing, rolling several times across the ground at the impact. This time, he couldn't get up; his bruised, beaten body failed him and a sob rose in his throat. _Why is all of this happening? Why me?_ It felt like the whole world was turning against him. It didn't matter anymore whether they were Catchers or pokémon; everywhere he turned, Tyler got hurt. With a wave of fear, he realized that resistance was worthless. There was no way out of his bleak situation. All he could do was hope that the persian would let him go when it had had enough – _when did I fall to hoping it would just go away?_ – so he could make his broken way home.

That didn't seem to be yet. The cat pokémon was coming at him again, crossing the clearing with a measured tread. Tyler's attack had carried him toward the water's edge, and the persian came to a stop, standing over him but glancing over at the river. "So, you want to drown, then? Good choice." The words came out in a satisfied purr. "I can help with that." The persian scooped him up with a paw again. Tyler cried out helplessly as its claws found his bruises and wounds, and then he felt a lurch in his stomach as it casually flicked him out into the water. The river flowed more deeply and strongly than the stream had, and shock and adrenaline coursed through Tyler as he realized he struggled to stay afloat. Surprise and fear opened new reserves of strength, and he struck out, ignoring his injuries and paddling to stay afloat. He aimed for the far side of the water, where hopefully his assailant wouldn't be able to follow. Maybe he could get away from it.

He was making progress when the river reached a rocky stretch of rapids, and suddenly the current plunged him underwater and everything dissolved into confusion. The chaotic water pulled him up, down, and sideways, carrying him into rocks and spinning him around and upside down. It was all Tyler could do to get a quick breath occasionally when he broke the surface, and he could feel his desperate burst of energy fading away. Everything was a confusion of dark water and bright flashes of moonlight as he desperately tried to right himself in the rapids, and in the few moments where he broke the surface, he saw the persian calmly padding along the bank, keeping pace with him and watching every moment of his pointless struggle. Over and over again, the water bashed him into rocks, driving the precious air from his lungs in gasps. His struggles grew weaker and weaker as seconds passed without any chance to take a breath. Eventually, Tyler closed his eyes in surrender, wincing in anticipation of more impacts as stabs of bright light assaulted them unexpectedly.

Then, mercifully, it was all over as he somehow spun out of the main current and into a shallow eddy. Tyler felt solid ground underneath him, and he opened his eyes and struggled to his paws again from where he lay on his side, water dripping off of him as he rose. The persian was standing in front of him again cutting off his escape, and he let out a groan of despair. He couldn't fight it again, especially after nearly drowning. Hadn't the cat Pokemon hurt him enough – at least for tonight?

As his mind caught up with what he was seeing, though, Tyler realized something was wrong. The persian, instead of advancing on him, was staring, eyes wide and jaws slightly open in dismay. Tyler looked around – maybe someone had come to help him? It didn't seem like it, though. Tyler couldn't hear anyone, and it _was_ the middle of the night. _Something_ felt off about the situation, though. Then he looked down and saw his front paws.

They were blue.

 _I evolved._ Tyler mouthed the words in shock. _I'm a vaporeon._ Things started to fall into place. _That_ was why the persian didn't tower over him. _And why I can stand at all,_ Tyler realized. His injuries were fading as water dripped down his body, and he realized with a shock that his strength was rapidly returning. He forgot all about the persian for a moment and craned his head around to get a look at himself.

His fur was gone, replaced by smooth blue skin that covered his whole body. A ridge ran down his back – he could feel it a little – and down his tail, which was over twice as long as it had been before and far more muscular, ending in a fin like a fish's. There was a new sensation in his mind, and as he focused on it Tyler realized he could _feel_ the ebb and flow of the river around him. It somehow felt right, and in that moment Tyler understood Father's words from so long ago: " _like a part of you woke up that you never knew was there."_ That was exactly how it felt. There was a sudden rush of belonging, a rightness to having an element. The river was his. _I belong here now._

Movement on the riverbank drew his attention back to the persian, and Tyler narrowed his eyes. He didn't have time to ponder what had just happened to him right now, not with the persian still standing there. He realized, though, that it didn't look so big or threatening anymore. Physically, Tyler was confident he could match it evenly now. He could feel it. As he stood in the shallows, his injuries continued to heal, and now he could barely feel any of them. "Not so little anymore, am I?" he asked the cat pokémon quietly. His voice was different too, stronger and more mature than before. "Come on. Let's see how _you_ swim."

Tyler's enemy just stood there for a moment. Its claws slid out of their sheaths, and Tyler growled a feral challenge, the water around him rippling menacingly in response to his anger and frustration. His opponent hesitated, then feinted forward, and Tyler dropped into a combat position, tensing his body. Instinctively, he reared his head back and sprayed a stream of water in its face, driving it back a few steps as it closed its eyes and ducked its head against the blast.

That was enough to decide the persian. It backed off a few steps more, then turned tail and whisked away into the undergrowth. The rustling faded away, and Tyler realized the fight was over. The persian wouldn't be back to challenge him, especially not if he stayed by the river. He relaxed, letting out a little sigh of relief.

Questions flooded Tyler's mind as he wondered about his evolution. His life had just changed forever, the very thing he had been worrying about for over a month now. What to choose. How he would go on. And now, the choice had been taken away by the circumstances. _I guess that's all right, though. I can't really do anything about it now. And… I guess I still don't know what I would have actually picked,_ he realized. _I kept trying so hard to stay away from evolution at all. And now it found me._ There was a strange sense of relief that he didn't have to wrestle with those doubts anymore, though Tyler was still worried about what would happen when he met pokémon he knew, like Andreas, Cora, or Ryan. _I guess I'll just have to do what Ryan said, and follow the path I'm on. I can't run away from what… from_ _ **who**_ _I am._

A yawn interrupted his thoughts, bringing him back to the present. Tyler was still standing in the water by the riverbank. The water had healed him and brought back his strength, but it was still very late and he was tired. He still wanted to reassure himself that Ryan was all right – and he wanted to know about his new form, understand what he could do and what his life would be like now, but… _I guess everything can wait for tomorrow. I need to sleep._ He padded out of the shallows, his paws making little splashes, and looked for a place to sleep. Normally he would have curled up under a bush, but he was larger now and didn't have fur. The idea of staying by the water made him instinctively feel safer, so he cast about for cover along the riverbank. There was a fallen tree on the other side of the river, but Tyler wasn't ready to test his new swimming abilities yet, not when he needed to sleep, so he kept looking and saw a stand of cattails a little way away on his side.

Walking over, Tyler took an experimental sniff. He couldn't make out the smell of anything inside, so the new vaporeon shouldered his way between the reeds. As he turned around, his tail gave him a little trouble since it was so much longer now, but after a moment he was able to pull it into the shelter of the plants. The reeds formed a protective barrier; nothing would see him here. Tyler stretched tiredly and lay down, noticing as he did that his side was in the water again. It didn't bother him like it would have before, though. Water was part of him now. Laying his head down on some bent and flattened reeds, Tyler drifted off to sleep under the full moon.

 **Part II End**


	17. I Evolved (part III)

**Part III - Vaporeon**

Tyler blinked as the sun climbed high enough to reach him in the cattails. He was confused for a moment, wondering where he was and why he was in the water. Then he came fully awake. _That's right. I evolved last night!_ His tiredness gone, Tyler sprang to his paws, stumbling a little at the unaccustomed weight and length of his tail as it swept across the wall of reeds. Once he got his footing, he turned to look at his tail, arcing it up and over his shoulder and watching how his fin shone in the morning sunlight. _I wonder what I can do with this?_ He pushed his way out of the reeds and found himself emerging into the water, away from the bank. The ripples cleared as he hesitated, and Tyler looked down and saw his new face for the first time. It was blue like the rest of him, but his ears were gone, replaced by a pair of fins that ran down his head, with a third in the middle like a crest. His ruff was still there, but it wasn't fur anymore; a white ring circled his neck. Putting a paw up to feel it and his head, he found that it felt a little like his new fins.

The movement disturbed the water again, and Tyler waited for it to settle. The ripples quickly flattened out, and he stared at his reflection again, this time scrutinizing his features for any trace of the Tyler he recognized. To his relief, his face didn't look completely unfamiliar. The lines of his cheek and jaw were still the same, and so were his eyes. A weight lifted from him. _I can still see myself in here._ It was reassuring, knowing that part of him hadn't been lost. Whether everyone else would recognize him, he didn't know. He looked up, turning his head back toward the forest's edge. Where was Ryan? The Quilava hadn't been at his scrape. Tyler had to admit, though, that he didn't really know what Ryan did during the day, where he went or where he stayed. Maybe if he went back, he could catch the Quilava's scent and find him.

Right now, though, it was the river that drew his attention. Tyler had evolved the night before, and everything he had experienced so far had been… well, amazing. _How was I ever afraid of this?_ Tyler could shoot jets of water from his mouth – the distance attack he'd always hoped for – and his injuries had all healed just from _being_ in the river. Now as he looked out over the water, he felt the urge to dive in. Fear held him back a little – the memory of the rapids the night before was still fresh – but he couldn't keep his tail from lashing back and forth in anticipation. _Well, I'm a Vaporeon now. Time to see what I can do._ Finally giving over to his excitement, Tyler plunged out into the river's current.

The first thing he noticed was that the water didn't seem to pull on him as much as before. Tyler wasn't sure whether it was because of his new powers, or simply because he didn't have any fur to get soaked and weigh him down anymore. He struck out with a confident stroke, noticing how much easier it was to keep afloat. After half a minute, though, he still hadn't made much progress toward the other bank. He stopped in disappointment. _I thought swimming would be easier now._ Letting the current carry him downstream for a minute, he wondered if he could do anything to go faster. _Wait – my tail!_ Taking a deep breath, Tyler submerged and swept down hard with his tail. It propelled him forward, far faster than he had been able to paddle with his paws. The movement felt awkward, and Tyler started experimenting, trying to refine his stroke. He ran out of breath and resurfaced, then dove underwater again. It took a while, but he finally hit on a rippling motion of his whole body that sent him arrowing smoothly through the water, fast enough to even make some headway against the current. With a little more practice, Tyler could send himself into circles and loops. _I feel like I'm flying!_

As he cavorted though the water, Tyler stared around, marveling at how clearly he could see. He explored the features hidden under the water, looking closely at the stalks of reeds and the smooth rocks that lined most of the riverbed and watching the sunlight play across them as the surface rippled several lengths above him. His breath was starting to run out again, and Tyler turned upward, powering through the water at fast as he could. He broke the surface at top speed and his body left the water entirely before he ran out of momentum, falling back into the water with a huge, thoroughly satisfying splash. Tyler couldn't deny it. This was fun.

After a while, hunger drove him to leave the river; he hadn't eaten anything yet that morning. Once Tyler was away from the water, his thoughts turned to more serious matters. With everything that had happened, it was easy to forget that he had come here because he was headed home, leaving his family and his quest behind. The night before, he had felt like everything was pointless. Memories from Zahna's attack still haunted him, and had been a large part of why he had given up. Still, though… last night, his life had changed again. _Do I still go home? I'm not sure now. Maybe, like this… I actually have a chance._ Tyler thought about it as he approached the berry bush he'd fought the Meowth for. Part of him was on the alert; after all, he now knew that the Meowth – Persian now – still wanted revenge. _But I'm not afraid of it anymore. Last night, I was. It was too strong for me. Just like the Catchers._

He continued thinking as he ate. His life had been forever altered when he evolved. Tyler knew he had powers he didn't understand yet; water seemed to react to his emotions and thoughts. It made his life different too; Tyler felt more at home in a river than in the bushes he'd grown up around now. Grass, twigs, and leaves felt different against his skin than they had when he'd had fur. His coat had softened the world, and most of the time he'd barely noticed. _It's strange, being different. I was used to being an Eevee. Now I have skin instead of fur, a long tail – and I'm so much bigger than I used to be._ It was harder to move through the undergrowth now, though at least he didn't have to worry about fur snagging on branches, and his skin was resilient enough to resist scratches when they scraped him. He also noticed that it took several berries to satisfy his hunger instead of just one. _My world is different now. Where does that leave me? Where do I go?_ Questions spun through his head, and he wanted to see Ryan now more than ever. The Quilava always seemed to know what to say, and Tyler needed advice now more than ever. _Do I go on? Do I stay? Do I go back?_

With these thoughts in mind, Tyler made his way back toward Ryan's scrape. He crossed the stream, enjoying the swirl of water around his paws again, and climbed the bank onto the path. The trail seemed smaller than he remembered too; Tyler's back brushed against leaves and branches in some places. _No wonder this path seemed so big when I was an Eevee. I barely fit now._ He reached the Quilava's scrape. No one was there, but he sniffed around. Tyler's sense of smell wasn't as sensitive as it had been before his evolution, but he could tell that the Quilava hadn't been here for at least a day. He thought the scents were still recent, so maybe Ryan wouldn't be gone long. He sighed to himself. _I used to be able to track things a lot better._ Hopefully his new abilities would make up for it, once he learned how to use them.

Tyler's next destination, once he'd checked the immediate area for signs of his friend, was the forest verge. Ryan had said he lived out on the grassland normally. Maybe he'd gone back there. It had been weeks since Tyler had seen him.

Looking out over the hills, Tyler did see a small dark shape, not too far away. It was making its way toward the forest. It was near noon, and the sun was beating down. Tyler looked up for a moment. Was it worth it to go check? _I'm not going to be out in the sun for too long… Anyway, I'm a water type now, right? I'm going to go see if that's Ryan._ He set out, making his way through the grass. It wasn't quite as dry as he remembered; the rains had helped things a little. As he got closer, Tyler could tell that it was Ryan he saw, and he broke into a run, almost tripping at first. It took him a few moments to find a natural stride with his new larger body, but he didn't let it slow him for long; he picked up speed and was soon racing across the grass, covering the distance in almost half the time it would have taken him before. He crested a hill and nearly ran into the Quilava on the other side.

Ryan threw himself into a sideways roll, coming up in an aggressive pose with his crest and back blazing. "Just, stay back."

There was a quaver in the Quilava's voice that Tyler hadn't been expecting. Surprised, he skidded to a halt. They both remained still for a moment – Ryan tense and defensive, and Tyler unsure what to do – then Tyler found his voice. "Um, hi, Ryan."

The Quilava looked taken aback. "Ryan? How do you know my… wait. _Tyler?_ You evolved?"

The new Vaporeon nodded.

"When?"

"Ummm… actually last night." Tyler realized that he now stood taller than his friend. _That_ was strange; Ryan was older than he was. _I don't know if I'll ever get used to being evolved._

"Well, that's great!" Ryan said, relaxing and extinguishing his fire. "But… what were you doing last night that made you evolve?"

Tyler cast back and sighed. It wasn't something he was excited to talk about. "It's a long story," he replied evasively.

"I'm not busy," Ryan replied. "Why don't you tell me on the way back?"

That raised another question in Tyler's mind. "I was wondering, actually. What are you doing out here?"

"Oh. Well… I've been visiting Aries sometimes at night. After you left again, it got me thinking. I'm his only family here. And I mean, maybe he didn't want to come with us before, but that doesn't mean he'll never change his mind. I can't just give up on him like that." While not directed at Tyler, Ryan's words still stung. _Like I gave up on my family._ "So then, how did you evolve in the middle of the night?"

"Well… I was in a battle."

"Again – how did _that_ happen?"

Tyler slowly started to tell his story as they turned back toward the forest. "I was coming back here, heading… well, yeah. I was going to try to visit you, but I couldn't find you around here, so I went to where you train. And then… Remember the Meowth? It evolved into a Persian some time, and it attacked me there. I didn't have a chance against it, really. It beat me until I couldn't get up. Then it threw me in the river." _To drown._ "I almost didn't make it, but I guess I evolved in the water. I didn't realize it at first, I just thought I'd gotten to a shallow part. But then… It was looking at me funny when I got out of the water. Like everything had gone wrong. And then I realized what happened."

"And then?"

"Well… it left me alone after that." Ryan was looking him over, peering at his head and shoulders. "What?"

"I've just never met a Vaporeon before." The Quilava shook his head. "Okay, that sounded weird. I've met you before, I've just never actually seen what you look like as a Vaporeon."

"It feels kind of weird being a Vaporeon too. I mean, I'm not used to being so _big_." He looked down at Ryan. Being larger than the Quilava still felt wrong. "And my tail gets in the way of things."

They went a little further before Ryan turned to him again. "So, how is it?"

"What?"

"Is it as bad as you were worried about?"

Tyler thought about it. Healing in the water, swimming so easily… "No, I guess it isn't."

Ryan smiled. "See? I told you you were worrying too much." He paused for a few seconds as they walked back up the hill. "So how did it go at that other town? I mean, I guess you didn't find your family there. But did you find the Pokémon?"

Tyler's good mood faded. "I found them," he said, deciding to answer that question first. "I was training there for a while. But…" he signed. This was what he'd wanted to talk to Ryan about, he reminded himself. "I didn't ever go into the town." Tyler cringed as he watched Ryan enthusiasm turn to confusion.

"You didn't? Why not?" When Tyler didn't immediately respond, Ryan stopped and looked at him. "Did something happen out there?"

Tyler nodded sadly, looking down. Bracing himself, he took a deep breath and started recounting what had happened, how he had found the mountain community and trained with them.

"After a while, I just started feeling like something was off. Like I was just training and training because I was scared to go into that town. A few days ago, I decided that I couldn't keep waiting, so I… Well, I decided to challenge a Catcher to see if I was ready." He sighed. "I lost, but that wasn't the worst part. Zahna was there too, and she attacked the Catcher to keep her away from me. She used some kind of dark wave, and I got caught in it too." The memory made him shudder. "It was like a nightmare, except I couldn't wake up. I was just running through the forest watching the take my family over and over again. And the whole time I could feel what was in her mind. How she felt about Catchers. How much she hates them. I think that's what made her so strong."

"So what happened then?"

"She healed me. With moonlight. I think I almost evolved into an Umbreon then. It was weird… I saw it in my dream, and it said it was me. It wanted me to go with it."

"That's not what happened when I evolved," Ryan said thoughtfully.

"It's not what happened last night when I was in the water, either," Tyler agreed, shaking his head. "I didn't even realize I'd evolved until afterwards."

"So what happened?" Ryan prompted.

"Well… I didn't go with it. I don't want to be an Umbreon now. And then… I went up to a light, and I woke up, and Zahna was there. She said I had been like that for hours and hours. It's the worst thing that ever happened to me. And then…" Tyler stopped. When he found his voice again, it was barely above a whisper. "I gave up. I wasn't strong enough to win on my own, and I never want to end up like Zahna did either. That's why I'm here now. I was going home until the Persian attacked me."

"I'm… wow. I'm sorry that happened to you. I can't even imagine. …Are you all right? It sounds like you've had a few really bad days."

Tyler started walking again. "I don't know. I guess I feel better now than I did. But the other thing is – I evolved. I still don't know what will happen. I just know my life's different now, and it makes me wonder if I'm doing the right thing."

"The right thing?" the Quilava echoed.

"Well… going home. I felt like I'd never be strong enough. But now I'm a Vaporeon, and I am stronger. What do I do?"

"If I were you, I'd wait and see." Ryan gave him a sympathetic look. "Things always look the worst right after they happen. I don't think you should give up so easy."

Tyler thought for a moment. That was what he'd been worried about hearing… but at the same time, part of him had been hoping that someone would tell him to keep trying. He nodded. "I guess I can do that."

"Do you want to stay around here for now?" Ryan asked him. "I know you probably don't want to go back yet, and I don't blame you. But it's all right if you stay here."

Tyler nodded gratefully. He realized he didn't really want to be alone now, like he'd been planning. The pair passed the tree line, and the conversation turned to other things. Ryan seemed about the same as the last time Tyler had seen him, though he said he went down to the town to see Aries pretty frequently.

Ryan moved ahead as they headed into the trees, and after a while Tyler realized they were headed back to where he trained. "Where are you going?"

"Down to the river. I want to see what you can do."

That caught Tyler a little off guard, but he couldn't deny that going back in the river sounded appealing, so he followed along. When they reached the clearing again, Ryan stopped, looking at him expectantly. A little embarrassed, Tyler walked down into the water and submerged himself, pushing off from the bank into the current.

Underwater, Tyler suddenly felt much more confident. Maybe it was because he couldn't really see Ryan watching him anymore. Looking up, he caught sight of the Quilava's silhouette, blurred through the rippled surface of the water. Down here, though, it was just him. Tucking his paws back to streamline his body, Tyler propelled himself across to the far side as quickly as he could, crossing the river in only a few seconds before surfacing so Ryan could see where he was. As he broke the surface, Ryan's head snapped up from the water where he'd been looking. Diving back in, Tyler started pushing against the current, making enough headway to get a little upstream of where Ryan sat. Turning, he made his way back, surfacing by the bank and drawing a huge breath.

Ryan looked at him. "That's pretty good. You can get around fast down there. You know… now I wish _I_ could swim like that."

Tyler wasn't sure what to say to him. "Well…"

"It's okay," the Quilava reassured him. "I can do things too. We're all different. You seem pretty comfortable down there, though."

Tyler nodded. "I'm getting better at holding my breath longer."

This drew a blank stare from Ryan. "Holding your breath?" In answer to Tyler's questioning look, he added, "Can't you, you know, breathe underwater?"

"…I don't know. Maybe?"

"Well, unless I was mistaken, those were gills under your ruff." Ryan reached out with a paw to lift it. "Like fish have."

Reaching up with his own paw, Tyler felt under his ruff too and realized that there were lines running down the side of his neck. Could he really breathe underwater? "What do I do?"

"How should I know?" Ryan asked, giving him an exasperated look. "They're your gills. I'm not a water Pokémon."

"Sorry," Tyler apologized. What _was_ he supposed to do? _First, get in the water, I guess._ He took another breath and dove back in. Realizing what he'd just done, Tyler exhaled again, letting most of the air back out. It was the first time he'd opened his mouth underwater. _Not that I've been underwater that much. Only since this morning._ Letting himself drift, Tyler thought about what to do. _Do I just breathe in?_ He tried, but his instincts rebelled, and all he managed to do was gag. A little water got down his throat anyway, making him cough and losing the rest of his air in the process. Tyler could feel his lungs starting to burn now, and he had to fight down panic. _I'm only just below the surface._ Determinedly, he closed his mouth – and to his surprise, he felt a smooth whooshing sensation on the sides of his neck, and the urge to breathe faded away. Tyler relaxed, experimentally taking another gulp of water. Again, with a sensation like a drawn-out swallow, the water flowed across his gills. It didn't feel anything like breathing, but Tyler's instinctive need for air was disappearing now. _Another part of being a Vaporeon I never thought about. I wonder what other secrets I have… I feel like a stranger in my own body._

He shook his head. _I can worry about that later. Right now – I can breathe underwater! Or something like that._ Experimenting with his newfound freedom, Tyler swam to the center of the river, where it was deepest, and descended into the shadow of a large rock. There was a hole down there, and Tyler sensed a movement in the water he instinctively identified as a fish hiding inside. The thought made him a little hungry, which was strange. Tyler had never eaten anything but berries, and roots once or twice. He knew other Pokémon ate different things, but he'd never had an urge to.

He thought about trying to get at it, but he could tell that the hole was too small for him, and since he didn't think the fish would come out, Tyler turned back towards the surface. Ryan might be getting worried. _Although maybe not, since he just told me I could breathe underwater_.

Tyler broke the surface in midstream, looking around for his friend, then dipped back down and swam to where Ryan waited. When he got out of the water, he had to remember to take a breath – which immediately sent him into another fit of coughing as the last of the water ran down his airway. After a few moments of coughing and spitting out water while Ryan looked on in concern, he got his breath back under control. "It worked," he gasped hoarsely, looking up.

"Are you all right, though?" the Quilava asked him.

Tyler nodded, clearing his throat. "It's not breathing, exactly. I don't think I'm supposed to breathe water. It's more like the water goes out through… through my gills." _Saying that feels weird._ "I still have to be careful not to inhale any water," he added sheepishly. "I guess I'll have to practice."

Ryan nodded. "All right, you do that. Since we're out here, I guess I'll train a little too." He turned and moved back into the clearing, away from the water. Tyler watched him for a moment, then he turned and dove back into the river. Carefully letting out some of his air first, Tyler drew in water, feeling it wash across his gills again. The action felt more and more natural as he kept going, although it was a little strange not to breathe at all. His lungs seemed to relax while he was underwater now, and Tyler felt more and more at home. He didn't feel cold or wet, he just felt… right.

 _I don't have to go up to the surface anymore,_ Tyler thought. _I can explore down here as long as I want!_ Wanting to see the rapids – now that he could – he turned downstream, following the current. After a few moments, he felt a swirl in the water up ahead, and the current quickened. Before he reached the rapids, Tyler found an outcropping stone and hooked a paw around it, keeping himself from being pulled in while he watched in fascination. Underwater, the rapids looked almost smooth, with bubbles curling down from the surface in long, steady streams that twisted and turned over and around moss-green stones. He could only see a little way down them before his vision was cut off by curtains of white water. The idea of trying to take them crossed his mind, but he only considered it for a moment. He wasn't ready for something like that. He watched the swirling currents a while longer, then turned away, pushing against the current as he made his way back upstream.

So far, he hadn't seen any other water Pokémon. Tyler wasn't sure if that was normal or not. Maybe there weren't that many around, or maybe they just didn't go in this river. _Or maybe they don't come here because of the rapids_.

As he headed back upriver, Tyler found that the river broadened and the current slowed down. He got out of the water a ways from where he could see Ryan's fire, closing his mouth and forcing the last of the water through his gills so he could take a breath. There was something else he wanted to try. Standing on the bank and facing a tree, he opened his mouth. What did he do for this? Spitting? _No…_ Tyler cast back to the night before, trying to recall how his instinctive blast of water against the Persian had felt. As he recalled, he had felt it as a tightening in the pit of his stomach, forcing the water out. He tried it experimentally, but nothing happened. Where did all the water come from, anyway? _My energy,_ Tyler thought. _That's it._ For the first time since he'd evolved, Tyler felt for his power.

He could tell immediately that it was stronger than it had ever been, but it felt quiet. When he'd been an Eevee, it had been rushing, stronger and stronger, making him uncomfortable in his own form – just like Mother and Father had described. Now it just felt like part of him, there without him even realizing it. There was a different feel to it as well. _Must be the water_. Tyler drew on it and tried again. This time, he felt a rush inside himself, and a burst of water came shooting out of his mouth. Tyler blinked. _That was easy._ Most of his abilities had taken time for him to get a handle on so he could actually use them. This time, all he'd had to do was draw on his energy and repeat what he'd done the night before. He'd missed the tree, though, so he repeated the action, firing again and again until he managed to hit it three times in a row. By that point his stream of water was a lot weaker than at first, and the effort left him a little tired. His energy still had limits; they were just higher than before.

Turning away from the now-soaked tree he'd been practicing on, he climbed back into the water and started swimming again. He noticed a new sensation; it seemed like water was flowing into him. _Maybe it's replacing all the water I just used…_ Experimentally, he turned back into the bank and climbed onto dry land. He only felt wet for a moment. Tyler dipped a paw into the water and withdrew it, watching in fascination as the water soaked into his skin and disappeared before it could drip away. Amazed, he repeated the process several more times. Each time, the water flowed into him, vanishing in moments. _I'm absorbing it_.

Tyler remained still for a while, wondering at all of his new abilities. _Was all of this hidden inside me, even when I was an Eevee? I think I'm starting to understand why Father said we're so fortunate._ After a minute, Tyler stepped back into the water and pushed off again, eager to show Ryan what he'd discovered.

Tyler emerged from the river to something he hadn't seen before. Ryan was spinning around the clearing in a wheel of sparks, tracing a burnt circle into the grass. As he watched, the sparks disappeared and the Quilava launched into the air for a moment, turning over twice more before hitting the ground in an awkward tumble. "Darn." Ryan got up again, shaking his head. "I thought I had it that time." He looked up and noticed Tyler standing on the riverbank, dripping water, and sighed. "You saw that, didn't you."

Tyler nodded. "What were you doing?"

Ryan actually looked a little embarrassed. "It's just something I've been working on. I noticed a while back that if I blasted fire really hard, it would actually push on me – once when I was in a fight, I was trying to jump and it threw me off. So I've been trying to figure out how to use it to my advantage. So far, spinning is the best thing I've come up with, but… I'm having trouble coming to a stop."

Tyler felt like he should say something. "You move really fast, though."

Ryan brightened at the praise. "Yeah, that's true. I'll keep working at it." After a moment's pause, he set his crest and tail ablaze again and curled into a forward roll, picking up speed with each revolution. In a few moments, he was spinning around the clearing again. Tyler felt disappointed; he wanted to tell the Quilava about the other discoveries he'd made. He arranged his paws and sat down, twitching his tail back and forth in impatience.

Ryan finally came to a stop again, a little more gracefully than before, and saw Tyler watching him expectantly. "What is it?"

Tyler was suddenly unsure of what to say. "Well… There were some things… I wanted to show you… well, tell you about some things," he finished lamely.

Ryan sat down. "What is it?"

"Well… I found out some new things."

The Quilava cocked his head. "What?"

"I figured out how to shoot water."

"All right, let's see."

Tyler nodded and turned away, aiming at the river. With a burst of energy, he sent a stream of water arcing across. Now that he'd taken in more water, the stream was nearly as powerful as it had been when he started.

"Well done," Ryan congratulated him. A moment later, a stream of fire came from Tyler's right, blowing out across the river like his water blast had. That sparked something in the Vaporeon's mind.

"Hey – remember when I asked if I could train with you? You said that if you trained anyone, you wanted it to be someone who could take fire okay. Well, now I can."

"I'm still not sure," Ryan temporized.

"I'll be all right. I'm actually pretty used to it – while I was up on the mountain I trained with a Vulpix a lot. I got burned a couple of times." His time there had actually left several singe marks on Tyler's coat that would have taken a long time to disappear, until his evolution erased them. It hadn't changed the nick in his right ear – now fin – that the Chikorita had given him when they'd fought. Ryan hadn't seen the singed patches, since Tyler had evolved before his reunion with the Quilava. Maybe that was a good thing. Seeing that the Quilava was still hesitating, he added, "Come on! One thing I learned up there is that you can practice the moves a lot, but you don't learn how to really _use_ them without training matches."

"I know, but… I really don't want to fight you. …I wouldn't feel right about it."

"It'll be fine," Tyler tried to reassure him.

"Listen, Tyler… Can I just have some time alone to think?" Ryan turned and headed for the path, and something kept Tyler from following. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but this wasn't how he'd envisioned things going with the Quilava.

Casting about for something to do, it occurred to him that the training had left him hungry. Rather than go to the bushes they normally frequented, which would mean following Ryan back, Tyler decided to go exploring for another one. He crossed the river in a few confident strokes, not bothering to switch to his gills since the swim was so short. Coming out on the other side, Tyler started sniffing around, wishing his nose was more sensitive. That was something he was going to miss. He headed out, tracing a wide circle intended to cover as much ground as possible without getting him lost. As long as he found the river again, Tyler was confident he could make his way back. It didn't take him too long to find something to eat. The berries on this bush were familiar from before his family had been captured, and he wondered suddenly how near he was to his old home. The stream near their old den wasn't the same one Ryan lived near, but it might be from the same river. Tyler was probably closer to home than he'd been in a long time. Another idea occurred to him, and he turned back, crossing the river and following the path back up to find Ryan.

The Quilava was sitting out in the breeze and afternoon sun of the forest edge. He turned at Tyler's pawsteps. "Hey, Tyler. Sorry about earlier."

"It's all right," Tyler replied. "We don't have to spar or anything."

Ryan nodded. "I didn't really want to."

"Actually, I came back to tell you something. I went exploring a little, and I came closer to my home than I've been in a long time. I think I'm going to stay there tonight. I hope you don't mind."

Ryan looked a little surprised. "No, that's fine. Go ahead. I'm not really used to having someone around all the time anyway."

"Okay," Tyler agreed. Part of the reason he'd thought of going was that he'd felt a little the same. Things between him and Ryan had seemed a little awkward since he'd evolved, and he wasn't sure why. Maybe part of it was that he was different now. Maybe it was that he wasn't used to staying with someone either. Zahna didn't really count, since her den had been pretty large and either she or Tyler would usually be asleep when they were both there, so it was more like sharing the same space. "I'll probably come back sometime tomorrow." Ryan nodded understanding, and Tyler turned away, following the tree line to the left for a while until he drew even with the stretch of the road where he'd first emerged. Leaving the grassland behind, the Vaporeon turned toward home.


	18. Full Circle

As Tyler moved back into the trees, he started to feel a sense of familiarity. The marks of the Catchers were gone, and he doubted that Father's path would still be discernible when he came to it, but there was still something about the area that sparked memories. Most of the memories were good ones, of home and family; though the Catchers had been a constant shadow over his life, they didn't intrude now.

Tyler knew that it would be hard to find the exact spot since it was a fair distance into the forest. As he walked, there were occasional rustlings in the undergrowth to either side, but he didn't see anyone. _They're probably more cautious around Eons than around Eevee. I wasn't much of a threat back then but I guess now I am._ The thought saddened him a little; Ryan had reacted defensively when he'd seen him too. As he continued through the trees, he was fairly certain he passed through Father's circle, but the scents were gone now. No one was left to patrol the path. He went until he was certain he'd passed his den, but then he encountered the stream. Somewhere along here, he knew, there would be a spot he knew for most of his still-young life. The stream cut diagonally across his path, so he turned to the right where it angled back in the general direction he'd come from. If he'd passed his old den then it should be the right direction. Rather than follow along the bank, Tyler decided to step into the water and follow the stream that way. After all, he was a Vaporeon now.

The water only came partway up his legs – sometimes it barely covered his paws – and it made for an enjoyable trip, until he slipped on some mossy stones and fell. Once he'd gotten up, he looked around. _I'm glad no one saw that._ Looking ahead, he could tell that the stones were fairly numerous, so he decided to just take the bank. He wouldn't be able to tell if he'd found the place he was looking for if he had to be staring down into the water to be sure of his footing the whole time.

After traveling down the bank a short distance, Tyler found a spot that seemed different from the rest. He didn't quite recognize it at first, but it was undeniably familiar. As he came around to look at it from the angle of the forest, things fell into place, and he saw that it was the spot they'd always gone to drink from, with that broad, sloping bank that made it easy to lap from without getting wet or falling in. This was the place! Tyler turned, letting instinct guide him, and soon he emerged into the clearing where he had spent most of his life.

It looked nearly the same as it always had, and yet Tyler sighed as he saw how different it was. Time had erased the marks his family had left; in their absence the grass had grown straight again, apart from trails here and there that smaller Pokémon used to cross the clear area. Nothing had lived here that was larger than Father.

Putting the clearing aside in his mind, though, Tyler looked to the side, focusing on the tree that stood over his family's den. The tangle of branches was still there where he'd left it; walking over, Tyler gave it a sniff. I didn't seem like anything had taken up residence in the months since he'd left, so he gripped one of the larger limbs in his jaws and dragged it away until there was a space large enough for him to slip through.

As soon as he was inside, Tyler inhaled deeply, searching the air for familiar scents. This was where they'd spent so long together; if he could find their scents anywhere, it would he here. Closing his eyes in concentration, he could make out a few. Father's scent was there, as were those of his siblings, though they were old and faint. He couldn't make out Mother's scent, but… _It's probably because she smelled like plants, and there are too many around here._ What troubled him, though, was that there was another, unfamiliar smell. Stronger than the others, it resembled those of his siblings, but there was something off about it. Focusing on it, Tyler tried to figure out where it was from. With a jolt of surprise, he suddenly got it. _That's my scent. From when I was an Eevee. I even smell different now_. Tyler thought about it for a few moments, then put it aside too. It didn't really matter. This still smelled like home. Closing his eyes again, Tyler cast back to happier times, remembering how Mother and Father would place themselves at the entrance to the den, shielding their children from weather and enemies. He and his siblings would sleep near the back, where the floor sloped back up from the middle and kept them above the coldest of the night air. Mother would always be there watching over them, but Father would be gone in the mornings and evenings, always on watch for danger. _Even though it wasn't enough in the end._ _Alone, Father probably could have gotten away. He stayed for us_ , Tyler reminded himself. _For me, since I was the one who escaped._ The thought made him feel guilty again for having given up.

The sun was sinking toward the horizon again, and since he was home, Tyler decided to follow Father's patrol once again. He hadn't walked the path in months, but instinct and memory guided his paws as he traced a wide circle around the den. He met a few Pokémon on the way. Some he recognized. They didn't seem as worried about him as whatever others had been in the other parts of the forest had been. This confused Tyler at first, but as he talked to them he realized that they remembered his father and mother. Apparently the Flareon and Leafeon had helped more than just their own family, because the Pokémon seemed happy enough to see him. He didn't see the Rattata he'd encountered before, but the Pikachu on the other side of the clearing was still there. It was good to see a familiar face, and they conversed for a few minutes. As he continued on, Tyler couldn't help but think that it was still strange. Not the fact that he'd evolved, this time: searching for his family had given him a different life than the other Pokémon. He wasn't used to the idea of just living quietly somewhere anymore. _It's funny. Yesterday, that's what I was planning to do. Now, I'm not sure. I don't even know if I could live here after everything that's happened. I guess maybe I could get used to it again_.

He was still thinking about his life as he completed his circuit through the woods and returned to his family's den. The sun had sunk below the horizon now, and he was getting tired. Tyler entered the den through the hole he had made earlier. He wasn't sure where exactly to sleep. There was a dimple in the floor that had fit him perfectly as an Eevee, but it wouldn't any more. He thought about taking the spot where his parents had customarily slept, but it didn't feel right. Finally, Tyler settled down in the center of the den, where the floor curved to its lowest point. In his mind's eye, he could see his family around him, taking their places as they always had, yawning and curling up for the night. If only it could be like that again. With a sigh, Tyler laid his head on his paws and waited for sleep to come.

He dreamed that night. It started out fearful, echoing his ordeal with Zahna, but that faded after a while and he dreamed of a normal day as an Eevee, waking up in the den where he lay asleep. It wasn't any specific day he remembered, but as he ran, played, and trained with his siblings in the echoes of his old life, he heard again his parents' confidence that they would be strong and able to take care of one another.

Tyler woke the next morning as light filtered through the barrier in front of the den. He didn't remember the dreams he'd had, but he felt more refreshed than he had in a long time. There was a peace here in this glade that he'd never understood or even noticed when he had lived here as an Eevee; now that he'd returned after being away in unfamiliar places, he could feel it. Something here had given him hope again. _I can't give up here. I was beaten before, but not now. My family is still out there, and I'm going to find them_. For the first time since before he'd faced the Catcher, Tyler felt the weight of uncertainty lift from him. It was a relief to know what he was doing again.

His mind made up, Tyler ate and drank, then made his way toward the edge of the forest, crossing the clearing again as he did so. As he started to pass into the trees again, he stopped to take one last look at his old home. He hadn't bothered to re-cover the mouth of the den. _Whatever happens, I'm not coming back here again until my family is safe. If someone else needs a den, they can use ours. I think that's what Mother and Father would want_.

Tyler made his way through the trees, retracing the steps of his first time leaving the forest. When he reached the edge of the grasslands, Tyler stopped in the shade, closing his eyes and feeling the breeze on his skin. _Mother, Father… Skylar, Carson, Kara, Sasha…_

 _I'm coming_.

First, though, Tyler had a few things to do. Turning to the right and following the line of the road as he had before, he went to find Ryan.

"Ryan?" Tyler found the Quilava on the path.

"Tyler. You're back. Are things all right?"

He nodded. "I've decided. I'm not giving up here. I'm going back to find my family, whatever it takes."

Ryan gave him a look. "You don't stick around anywhere very long, do you?"

That made Tyler chuckle a little. "That's kind of how it's starting to feel," he conceded.

The Quilava nodded, silent for a moment. "Well, good luck," he offered.

"Hang on – I'm not leaving right now," Tyler protested. "Actually… I wanted to go see Aries tonight, before I leave."

Ryan nodded again. "I can go with you tonight."

"Thanks, Ryan." He stopped for a moment to think. "Until then, I think I'm going back to the river. I need to learn everything I can about what I can do now so I can be ready to find my family."

"That makes sense."

"So… I'll see you later?" Tyler asked hopefully.

The Quilava gave him another nod. "Good luck. I'll see you tonight."

As they parted ways, Tyler thought about how things had changed between him and Ryan. At first, as an Eevee, he had been relying on Ryan a lot, though the Quilava had been considerate enough not to point that out. Ryan had been there when he needed him, a solid and sure rock in Tyler's life. _What's different now?_ Tyler asked himself. _Is it just because I'm bigger and stronger now?_ The two had been close friends before he'd left to find the Pokémon community on the ridge. _I got a lot stronger there. Maybe it was easier for Ryan to have me around when I needed help. Now that I'm all right on my own… I don't know. Maybe it is because I evolved._ Tyler sighed in frustration. _I didn't want it to be that way_.

There wasn't much he could do about it right now, though, so Tyler headed for the river with a mental shrug. Right now, he needed to focus on training. Tyler could tell that he'd barely scratched the surface of his abilities. He wasn't sure how, but he knew. _All right. What have I seen?_ Tyler thought about it for a minute as he made his way back down Ryan's trail, listing his new abilities off in his mind. He could swim now, obviously, and stay underwater as long as he wanted thanks to his gills. He could shoot jets of water, too. Water absorbed into his skin when he needed it, and it seemed to heal his injuries as well. _There's one other thing,_ Tyler thought. When he'd faced down the Persian after his evolution, the water in the river had responded to his emotions. _I wasn't focusing on it then, but I can probably do more_. That was what he'd work on.

Tyler reached the river but didn't dive in immediately. He stopped on the bank, looking at the water as it flowed by. _Okay. How do I do this?_ He felt for his energy. _Like Zahna said, it helps me to do things. What am I trying to do here? How did it work the first time?_ Tyler narrowed his eyes in concentration. With the Persian, he hadn't really been thinking so much as feeling and reacting. The water had rippled when he growled. _So I'm back to growling again,_ Tyler thought with a flash of amusement. He tried it experimentally, reaching for his energy as he bared his teeth. Nothing happened. Still unsure of what to do, he stopped to think. He stopped for a moment and just let his energy flow. As he quieted his mind, Tyler became aware of a new feeling. He'd thought before that his energy had quieted after his evolution, and it had. Now, though, he could tell that it swirled and flowed in distinct patterns. He couldn't make any sense of them at first, but as he waited and focused, he could tell instinctively that they meant _something_.

Tyler closed his eyes to concentrate on the feeling. Most of it seemed to be… in front of him? _Isn't my energy inside me? Or is this something different?_ He opened his eyes again to look. There was nothing there… _Except the river! I can feel the water!_ As he looked out at the river, he could match ripples and swirls to the ebbs and currents he could feel inside himself. It was as if another layer had been added to his sight. As he watched and focused, Tyler felt as if he could see beneath the surface, watch where the current was swift and where it slowed, where it broke around rocks invisible from where he stood. Tyler just sat there for a while, watching and feeling, getting used to his new sense. _And I thought water was part of me_ _before_.

What would it be like all around him? Tyler eagerly stepped into the river and submerged himself. The water was as clear as it had ever been, but Tyler could make out swirls and ripples without difficulty. As he moved, he could feel eddies kicking up around his head, paws, and tail. He stayed there a little while, pulling water across his gills and simply enjoying the feeling of the water around him. _Yesterday, I learned a new way to breathe. I guess today, it's a new way to listen_.

Concentrating, Tyler could tell that his new sense extended further than he could see underwater. A little way upstream, there was some kind of movement… Tyler pushed off, swimming curiously toward the source.

When he got closer, Tyler could tell that it was near the surface, so he stayed low, approaching as stealthily as he could. He made out a round shape first, and then it resolved itself into a Marill, its tail bobbing on the surface while the round Pokémon hung down, picking something off the bottom. He approached and it saw him, giving him a cheery wave before flipping over and bobbing up to the surface. Tyler got the hint and surfaced as well, clearing the last of the water through his gills so he could talk.

"Hello there, friend!" the Marill greeted him. "I haven't seen you around here before."

Tyler thought about this for a moment, then nodded. "I've only been here since yesterday." Still curious, he asked, "What were you doing down there?"

"Collecting cress." The Marill turned a little and brought up a pawful of some kind of river plant.

"What for?" Tyler asked her.

"It's good to eat. You really didn't know that?" she added, giving Tyler a sideways look. Tyler shook his head. "First time in a river?"

"Well… yeah, kind of." Tyler admitted. "I only evolved a few days ago."

The Marill's round ears pricked up. "Really? Well, congratulations! Welcome to the water."

After that, she insisted on showing him around. This stretch of river was wider and shallower than where he'd been before; Tyler noticed a smaller stream branching off to one side. Most of the flow was in the middle, though the current wasn't that fast there, either. Several kinds of plants seemed to be growing everywhere. _That's odd. I'd never thought about plants growing in the water before._ He could sense fish here and there, darting into the weeds whenever anything got close. There were a few fish Pokémon, too. _I'm not going to try to eat those, though_. He laughed at himself a little. He probably couldn't even if he did want to.

As they went along, Tyler marveled at how much life there was around. His experience with the river so far had been mostly moss, fast current, and rocks – positively barren compared to where he was now. There was another community here in the river – mostly Marill and Wooper, it seemed, though Tyler saw a few Squirtle around too. The fish Pokémon were separate, mostly because, his guide explained, it was hard to talk to them.

After a while, they came to a stop. "So? Where do you want to stay?" the Marill asked him.

 _Stay?_ Tyler was taken aback. "Umm… I have a friend, out by the grassland. I'm going to stay there tonight… and I'm leaving after that."

"Leaving? Where to?"

Tyler sighed. He didn't really feel like explaining, but… "There's a town out on the other side of the grasslands. I'm going there."

She gave him a withering look. "You're just going to up and leave? You evolved, what, yesterday? You don't know _anything_ about being a water Pokémon."

"That's not true!" Tyler retorted indignantly. "I've been practicing ever since then!"

"Really."

Tyler nodded, thinking of all the things he'd learned. "I can shoot water… I know how to breathe underwater, I can swim really well… I can tell where things are in the water too. And it heals me."

The Marill nodded grudgingly, looking down for a moment in thought. "Well, what about using water? Can you do that at all?"

"Well… no. But I was going to try, right before I found you," he added defensively.

She shook her head – and most of her body – in a negative gesture. "I'll admit, you haven't been wasting any time. But you still have a lot to learn. You're crazy if you think you can just take off somewhere and be fine. Us, around here –" she swept her paw around the river in an expansive gesture – "we know a thing or two about water. At least stay for a week."

Tyler thought for a moment. "All right," he conceded. "But there's something I have to do tonight. I'll come back tomorrow." He started to turn away, then stopped. "Um, thanks…" He stopped again – he still didn't know what his guide's name was. "What's your name?"

"Veronica. And yours?"

"My name is Tyler." He cleared his throat to finish what he'd been saying. "Thanks, Veronica. For showing me around. I'll come back tomorrow." She nodded, and Tyler turned, plunging back into the water and following the current back to where Ryan trained.

He stopped, curious, at the patch of the plants the Marill – Veronica – had identified as cress. He didn't have paws for grasping like the Marill did, so he pulled up a mouthful and proceeded downstream, carefully drawing in water around the plants. He didn't want to get one stuck in his gills – Tyler didn't know what would happen, but he couldn't imagine that it would be anything good. _Although now that I think about it, fish Pokémon have to eat underwater, so maybe I can too_. He hadn't tried swallowing underwater yet – _Actually, I'm not sure if I've taken a drink at all since I evolved. Since I keep absorbing water, I haven't gotten thirsty_. That was a strange thought.

He put those thoughts aside as he neared his destination. Coming out of the water again, Tyler dropped the plants on the bank and looked around. There weren't any Pokémon around, so he turned his attention back to the cress. He could tell already from carrying it in his mouth that it had a somewhat spicy taste. Laying down on his side, Tyler held the stems down with a paw and tore a few leaves loose, chewing them experimentally. They had a bit of a crunch to them. The spiciness was there too, but there was also a bitter flavor Tyler wasn't sure he liked. He ate the rest of them anyway – he was hungry – but he thought he still preferred to live off of berries.

When he was finished, Tyler checked the sun and saw that it was close to going down. He needed to go find Ryan soon – _but first, I was going to see if I could do anything else with water, right?_ Focusing again, Tyler found his new water sense in the back of his mind. He looked at the flowing river, matching its ripples and patterns to the flows and swirls in his mind's eye. _All right – now what?_ Tyler willed the water to move, or swirl, or do something. He even growled a little, immediately feeling foolish when nothing happened.

After a few minutes, Tyler stopped. _Maybe I'm thinking about this wrong. My energy reacted before just to my instincts and what I was focusing on. But it feels different now – it's more natural for me to touch it. What if I focus less on the water and more on my energy?_ Tyler reached out again, in a different way this time. Instead of trying to move the water, Tyler found his energy again. Feeling the flow of water in his mind, he thought for a moment, and then envisioned reaching out with an imaginary paw to touch that surface.

His breath caught. In front of him, a ripple appeared, spreading out toward the banks in a lazy circle. He tried again, this time more to the right, and another ripple appeared a little further away. _I'm making those! I can control the water! At least, a little!_

What if he tried harder? Tyler fixed the river in his mind again and brought his imaginary paw slapping down. A larger ripple appeared, circles spreading out for several seconds before the center calmed. He repeated the action again and again until it splashed a little, kicking droplets into the air. He wasn't making waves or anything, but it was still exhilarating to know that he could stir the water without even being close enough to touch it.

Tyler stayed there for a while, playing with his new ability, tracing lines on the water and splashing it around. It wasn't until he heard a rustle behind him that he looked up and realized the sun had nearly set.

"There you are." Ryan's voice came from the path behind where Tyler sat. "What are you doing?"

Tyler paused a little guiltily. "Sorry," he answered. "I got distracted. I didn't mean to stay here so long." He turned to follow the Quilava back down the path towards the forest edge. "I'm ready to go now."

As they headed for the town, Ryan asked him, "So, what _were_ you doing back there?"

"Trying to control the water."

Ryan's ears pricked up. "So… can you?"

"A little. All I managed to do was make ripples and splashes."

The Quilava nodded. "That's not bad, though. You'll learn."

"Actually, speaking of that, I found some other water Pokémon in the river. They want me to stay with them. Do you think I should?"

Ryan looked at him. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think… I think it can help me. They were right – I do need to learn more about water if I want to be able to rescue my family."

Ryan nodded. "That sounds good. Are you going there, then?"

Tyler thought a little longer. "I think I will. For a while, at least."

"All right. I guess that means you'll be around here for a little while longer."

Tyler brightened. "Yeah, it will." Though things had been a little awkward between him and the Quilava, Tyler hadn't been happy to say goodbye again so soon. This meant he wouldn't have to yet.

The pair left the forest and started to cut across the grasslands towards the town. The sun was sinking below the horizon and stars were coming out. Tyler looked out across the open space, thinking of his family again. _I haven't given up anymore. I'm coming back_.


	19. Settling In

Ryan and Tyler made good time across the grasslands. The lights had come on in the Catcher town as darkness fell, making it stand out against the dark background of the plains and hills. The journey seemed shorter than Tyler remembered, and he wondered if Ryan had been waiting for him to keep up the last time. Before long, they had come near the town. Ryan angled to the right; Tyler could tell his friend was familiar with the route.

As they approached the fence, Ryan called out – not loudly, but enough to be heard. He reached a flattened patch in the grass and sat expectantly; Tyler padded up and sat down beside him. It only took a few moments before a pattering sound reached Tyler's ears, and the cyndaquil appeared soon after, moving up to the other side of the fence.

"Hi, Aries," Ryan greeted.

"Hi, Ryan," the little pokémon responded. "Who is this?" he added, turning to look at Tyler.

"This is Tyler. He was here before, remember?"

Aries thought for a moment. "You're the Eevee?"

Tyler smiled, happy to have someone think of him as an Eevee again. "Yes, that's me."

"But you evolved? Now you're a…" the little cyndaquil wrinkled his nose. "What are you called?"

"I'm a Vaporeon now. So that means I'm a water type."

"Cool!" Aries responded. "When did you evolve? What was it like?"

"Just a few days ago," Tyler answered. "But I don't really remember what it was like, because… I was in a river at the time. I didn't realize until after."

"Oh," the cyndaquil replied, looking a little crestfallen. He'd probably wanted to hear all about it; Tyler realized that was a story he wouldn't ever be able to tell. How _I evolved, though… that's a real story_.

"Why were you in a river?" Aries asked. "Were you swimming?"

Tyler laughed. "Swimming? More like drowning. A Persian I got in a fight with a while ago found me and threw me in." He sobered. "I probably _would_ have drowned, if I hadn't evolved right then."

Aries nodded seriously. "I'm glad you evolved."

"So am I." Tyler decided to change the subject. "So how have you been?"

"Good," the cyndaquil answered vaguely. "Oh! Oak says there are new Trainers coming soon!"

That made no sense to Tyler, but Ryan froze. "You mean… you're leaving?"

Aries nodded. "It means I get to go on an adventure!"

"That's… great, Aries." Ryan was looking away.

"Oh… I guess I won't get to see you again, will I?"

Ryan shook his head mutely, and Tyler could guess what was going through the quilava's mind. It wasn't just that he would miss Aries, although Tyler knew he would. The cyndaquil, if he understood right, would be going with a Catcher, helping him catch more pokémon and leaving more the way Tyler and Ryan had ended up. How could they tell Aries that? How could he ever understand?

The conversation continued. It seemed that Aries had a fair idea of what went on in the forest from his visits with Ryan, but the cyndaquil had a lot of questions for Tyler, especially about his evolution. Tyler answered the questions as well as he could, but his heart wasn't in it anymore. In his mind, he could picture a Typlosion instead of a Nidoking stalking across the clearing with the Arbok, hunting down his family. Tyler couldn't stand the idea that the bright, friendly cyndaquil might end up like that one day.

As the conversation came to an end and they were about to leave, Tyler felt like he had to say _something_. He didn't want to hurt or offend the cyndaquil, so after thinking it over for a while, he asked, "Aries? Will you promise me something?"

"What?" the fire mouse queried.

"When you're out on your… adventure… you'll run into a lot of wild pokémon, like us. Most of them have families. Promise me you won't forget that."

Aries had a slightly puzzled expression, but he agreed. "I promise, Tyler."

Tyler nodded slowly. He felt that he'd done all he could. "Goodbye, Aries."

"Goodbye, Tyler."

Instead of speaking, Ryan approached the fence and put pushed his head against the mesh, bulging it slightly inward. After a moment, the cyndaquil returned the gesture, and the two shared the closes touch they could through the barrier the Catchers had put up. After a long moment, Ryan pulled away. Tyler started to leave, but Ryan's voice stopped him. "Tyler… I want to stay here tonight. Go ahead without me." His voice sounded tired, and Tyler didn't blame him. He nodded and started making his way slowly back to the forest, wishing he could do something for the two of them. An idea occurred to him, and he turned back.

""Do you need any water?" he asked, a little uncertain. He'd never done this before. Ryan cocked his head in thought for a moment, then nodded assent, so Tyler dug a shallow hole and filled it with water. Ryan stepped over and quickly lapped up as much as he could before it soaked into the dirt. He nodded thanks, and Tyler, realizing the quilava wanted to be alone with Aries, turned again and left.

On his way back to the forest, Tyler found himself asking again why pokémon would willingly go with Catchers. Aries seemed excited at the prospect. Maybe it was the closest thing he would have to a family, or maybe he was just looking forward to the experience. Tyler shook his head, knowing he couldn't understand the reason any more than Aries could understand what Tyler's life in the wild meant to him. It was strange that they could be so similar and yet so far apart. Another thought occurred to Tyler: _I hope I never have to fight him_. It wasn't that Tyler thought he'd lose – after all, he did have an advantage against fire – but the idea saddened him. _Why do Catchers make everything so hard?_

Tyler slowly crossed the grass and entered the trees again, feeling drained. Rather than wait for Ryan, he made his way to the stream and slid into it as soon as it was deep enough to swim. It was hard to see in the dark, so he navigated by feel, using his sense of the water's movement to avoid rocks and limbs as he traveled downstream. He passed through the water meadow and considered stopping there, but like Ryan, he wanted to be alone, so he continued until he reached the rapids. He left the water there and followed the bank until he passed them and found the reeds he'd slept in two nights before. It was as private a place as he knew, so he pushed his way into them and curled up, making sure to pull his tail all the way into the plants. Sleep was slow to come, so he stared up at the circle of sky fringed by reeds, wondering why Catchers kept taking his family and friends away.

A cloud still hung over him the next day. Tyler went to get something to eat out of habit, but he found it hard to concentrate on anything. After meandering aimlessly for a while, he decided that he needed to do something to get his mind off of things, so he returned to the water meadow, looking for Veronica.

She found him first. "What took you so long? It's nearly midday!"

Tyler didn't feel like talking about it, so he brushed the question off. "What did you want to show me?"

The Marill gave him a look. "Well, you still have a lot to learn. Tell me, what do you know about water?"

"You mean about my power?"

That earned him a glare. "No, about _water_. What it does, what you have to watch out for, that kind of thing."

"Oh." He thought about it. Obviously it flowed in rivers and ponds. There was rain too. He wasn't sure what the Marill was getting at, though, and he said so.

She sighed. "Okay, look. The important thing about water is that it _flows_. Don't look at me like that – it's going to make a lot of difference to how you can do things." She went on to explain to him how water required adaptability – it didn't stop when it met obstacles, it went around. "You'll have to do the same. Don't face everything head-on – that's not how we're made."

Thus began Tyler's education in the ways of Water pokémon. Veronica started introducing him to some of the others; in particular, a wartortle named Peter took an interest in him and said he wanted to see him later. Veronica explained a little more about how things worked; while all the pokémon provided for themselves, they came together if Catchers or unfriendly pokémon intruded on the water meadow. She also explained more about water, how he'd need to watch out for things like draining attacks and electricity, which he would be especially vulnerable to now. Tyler didn't know anything about draining attacks, but he agreed wholeheartedly with her about electricity. It had been bad enough when he was an Eevee.

After a while, Veronica seemed to run out of things to say. "So. Where do you want to stay?"

Tyler considered. "I think I want a den."

"Well, you'll have to sort that out for yourself."

Tyler looked across the river, where a bank sloped up sharply from the river. "Is it all right if I go over there?"

Veronica shrugged. "I guess so." Tyler realized that while she'd taken an interest in him, the Marill wasn't really in charge of anything. _Probably no one is_. He nodded and crossed the river to the spot he'd chosen.

Once he was there, Tyler faced a new problem: he'd never dug a den before. He couldn't remember his parents doing so, either; it must have been before his birth. _Well, how hard can it be? It's just a hole_. He knew it would be more than that, though. It was a _big_ hole, bigger than he was. Tyler braced his hindpaws in the shallows, rearing up against the bank and scratching at the dirt. The bank turned out to be packed hard, and it took him a lot longer than he had expected to make any real impression. He dropped back onto all four paws, wondering what to do, when Veronica's words came back to him. _Don't face everything head-on – that's not how we're made_. How could he find another way around this problem? As he shifted back and forth, Tyler noticed that his paws were squishing in the mud. _There's my answer_ , he thought, pleased. _I'll bet mud comes out easier than dirt_. Tyler raised his head and sent a stream of water into the bank, slitting his eyes against the dirty spray, then reared up and attacked the bank again. It was hard at first, but then the water started to soak in, making it a lot easier to dig into. When he reached more dry ground, Tyler soaked it again, repeating the process until he'd made a sizeable hole.

He took a rest at this point, going to find something else to eat before tackling the digging again. It wasn't easy, but the task helped him break out of his depressed state. By early afternoon, Tyler had a hole longer than his body sloping back into the riverbank. He climbed into it experimentally, but it was still too small to fit him comfortably. The downward slope was also much more evident once he was in the hole, and he knew he wouldn't be comfortable that way. He set to the task of digging it out further and leveling the floor. When he was finished, he examined his first den, satisfied. It wasn't pretty; it was smaller than the one he'd been raised in, with a wider opening, but it would do. Experimentally, he entered again and curled up. It seemed comfortable enough, except that everything was still wet. _That's all right, though. It'll dry out eventually_. He climbed back out of his new den, wondering what to do now; it wasn't dark yet.

As he turned around, he just saw a small head disappear beneath the surface. He waited, but it didn't reappear for several moments. Wondering what was going on, Tyler stretched out with his water sense and felt small movements coming from about the same spot. Something was watching him. Tyler waited a moment longer, then, wondering what it was, he slid into the water as quietly as he could, swimming toward the disturbance with a slow stroke.

"Something" turned out to be a small squirtle, which smiled when it saw him and jetted away. Tyler pursued, though at a distance; he didn't want to look like he was threatening the young pokémon. It soon became clear, though, that he wasn't. The little squirtle darted between plants with such speed and ease that Tyler felt clumsy by comparison. He realized that while he could probably power through the water faster than the squirtle could, it could outswim him easily in virtually every other way. The only time he could gain on it was when it popped up to the surface for a moment to take a breath, something Tyler no longer needed to do.

He gave up after a minute of trying to follow the little pokémon and turned back. When he did, the squirtle came zipping past him playfully. Tyler decided to ask it what was going on, so he surfaced. It popped up a few moments later. "Hi!"

"Uh, hi," Tyler responded.

"Are you new here? I haven't seen you before."

"I am," he confirmed. "What about you?"

"I was born here. Oh! Um, what's your name?" the squirtle asked a little shyly.

By this point, Tyler's annoyance was gone. "I'm Tyler. I just evolved a few days ago… so I'm still getting used to swimming," he added self-consciously.

"Oh. Um, I'm Laurie," the squirtle told him.

Tyler hesitated. _I'm here to learn,_ he reminded himself. "How do you swim like that?" he asked.

"Like what?"

"Like how you change direction so fast."

The squirtle frowned for a moment in concentration. "…I don't know. I just do." Then she brightened. "I know! You can ask some of the others! Follow me!" Without waiting for an answer, Laurie spun around and zipped off again. Not wanting to lose her, Tyler plunged underwater and followed as quickly as he could. This time, she led him to an open spot in the plants where several older squirtle and wartortle seemed to be relaxing. Laurie approached one of them. "Hi, Da."

"Hi. Who is this?"

"It's Tyler."

By this point, the others had started to take interest. "You're the Vaporeon who showed up yesterday?"

Tyler nodded. He wasn't sure what to say. Laurie saved him.

"Tyler had a question. An' now I do too. How do we… What was it?" Laurie asked, looking uncertainly at Tyler.

"I was wondering how you move around so fast," he supplied. "I think I can swim faster than Laurie, but I can't turn like she can. I was wondering… if you could show me how."

"Oh." Laurie's father looked a little surprised for a moment. "It's pretty simple, really. We can spray water through the different holes in our shells. It lets us get around faster than we could if we were just swimming."

Tyler nodded in disappointment. He'd hoped it would be something he could learn to do. "I understand."

Laurie was practically bouncing out of the water. "That's awesome! So… wait. Other pokémon can't do that?"

"I can't," Tyler offered. "But I'm new at this, so I don't even know _what_ I can do. Oh, that reminds me. There was a wartortle yesterday… Peter, I think? He said he wanted to see me again. Do you know where he is?"

"I can show you!" Laurie volunteered excitedly. "Can I, Da?"

The older wartortle looked up at the sun, which was starting to go down. "All right. But be quick – it's getting late."

"Okay. Come on, Tyler!" Laurie took a deep breath and took off into the plants, then turned back expectantly. It made Tyler laugh a little, and he followed. As he trailed the little squirtle to where Peter was, Tyler realized she reminded him of Sasha. It had been a long time since he'd had a really young pokémon around. _And I was pretty young too_. He hoped Sasha was safe, wherever she was. At the same time, having the enthusiastic little squirtle around made him happier than he'd been in a while. _I'm glad I'm staying here for a while_.

After working his way through the plants for a short distance, they emerged into the clearer water midstream. Lauri veered to the right, downstream, and he followed her to another clear area in the plants. "Peter! Someone wants to see you!"

Another wartortle appeared. Tyler had a hard time telling them all apart, but he thought it looked like he one he'd met the day before. "Hey, Laurie. Isn't it getting late?"

"Da said I could show Tyler where you were."

Peter nodded. "All right. But you'd better get back now. It'll be dark soon."

She nodded. "Bye, Tyler!"

"Bye, Laurie." Tyler smiled as the squirtle gave him a wave before taking off again. He turned back to Peter. "Yesterday you said you wanted to talk to me."

Peter nodded. "That's right."

"Why?"

"I used to know a Vaporeon. Before I came here."  
"Oh." That was interesting. Tyler hadn't ever met a Vaporeon before he evolved into one. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, you said you evolved recently. I know a little about what Vaporeon can do, so I thought I might be able to help a little."

"Really? Like what?"

"Oh, different things. Like how you can control water. I can make jets and things, but I can't control it like you can."

Tyler ducked his head. "I'm not very good at it." That seemed to be true about a lot of things today. "All I can do right now is make ripples and stuff."

Peter waved it off. "That's just practice. I can help you if you want."

"Really? Thank you! When can we start?"

"Like I told Laurie there, not tonight. But maybe come see me tomorrow, around midday?"

Tyler nodded. "I'll come." Realizing that it was getting dark, he added, "Good night. Thanks."

"See you tomorrow," Peter told him. Tyler nodded again and turned to swim away.

On his way back to his new den, Tyler realized he was hungry again. The thought of trying to catch a fish occurred to him again, but he decided not to try. _Maybe when I'm good enough to catch up to a squirtle. I don't think I'd have a chance at catching a fish now_. He settled for finding a berry bush a ways from the river. Tyler knew he could probably eat some of the plants, but after trying the cress he wasn't that excited about the idea. After he ate, Tyler went back to the river and entered his den. It was still wet, but it was a little warmer than the air outside. _I'm going to have mud all over me tomorrow. But I guess it's all right. I'll be in the water tomorrow anyway._ His last thought as he curled up to sleep was that he hadn't seen Ryan the whole day. _I wonder how he's doing. I should probably go see him again tomorrow_.

Tyler woke the next morning in his den. It was darker than he'd been used to lately, since the part where he lay was a little higher than the opening and he couldn't see very far. As he shifted, he noticed dried dirt on his body. Looking around, he could see that everything was still damp, except for a dry circle where he had lay. Tyler smiled, realizing he'd absorbed the water from the mud he'd been laying on during the night. His instinct was to shake himself, but there wasn't room in his den, so he slid out, dropping into the river with a splash. _I meant to be quieter than that,_ he thought with a grimace. Twisting in the water, Tyler shed the clinging dirt before he surfaced to look around.

Everything was quiet. He could see by the position of the sun that it was later than he normally woke up, but there was still a while before he'd agreed to meet Peter again. Floating in the water, Tyler thought about what to do. _I was going to look for Ryan_ , he remembered. There was probably enough time for that. His mind made up, Tyler left the river, heading toward Ryan's scrape. He would find food on the way.

Ryan wasn't at his scrape, but when he got there Tyler could hear the quilava not too far away. "Good morning," he called out as he approached.

Ryan turned. The quilava didn't look like his usual self; he'd taken Aries's news hard. "Hi, Tyler."

"Are you… you know, all right?" Tyler wasn't sure how to ask – he didn't want to say the wrong thing.

Ryan let out a sigh. "I'm okay, I guess. I mean… it's not like I didn't know this was coming. Aries has been talking about it ever since we met. It just seems like Catchers take everything away."

Tyler made looked the quilava in the eye. "I know. It's the same for me."

"What do I do?" The question surprised Tyler. He'd always thought of Ryan as someone he could rely on for advice. To hear him asking now…

"I don't know. It's not the same with Aries, is it? Catchers took my family. But he _wants_ to go with them." Tyler thought about what to say next. "I guess… all you can do is remember him. Maybe you can see him again someday." That made a little sense to Tyler. Since Aries and Ryan were the same species, a Catcher probably wouldn't try to catch both. Probably.

It didn't seem to help, though. Tyler wasn't sure what to say. "It's all right," Ryan reassured him, though he still looked depressed. "It isn't your fault or anything. It's just… hard, not having anyone left."

"What about your parents?" Tyler asked.

Ryan shook his head. "I haven't seen them in a long time. They're probably out there somewhere." He turned to Tyler. "Is this what it was like for you? Having your whole family gone?"

 _It's still like that,_ Tyler thought, but he just nodded silently. Then something else occurred to him. "You said once that we could be like family. I didn't think you would ever need _me_ … but… I'm here," he finished, feeling a little awkward. Ryan nodded, his eyes glistening a little.

After a long pause, the quilava added, "Tyler… wherever you go… don't let them take you, okay?"

"I won't," Tyler promised. _I can't_.

Neither of them said much after that. Tyler thought that maybe Ryan just wanted company. As the sun reached its apex, though, he got up. "I have to go," he said.

"Where?" the quilava asked him.

"There was a wartortle – Peter – last night. I said I'd meet him at noon. He said he could help me."

"Help you with what?" Ryan asked, looking interested now.

"I don't know yet. Swimming, I think. And getting better at using water. He says he used to know another Vaporeon."

"Oh. Well, you should go see him then. I'll be all right, so don't worry about me."

"Are you sure?" Tyler asked, still concerned.

"I'm sure." Ryan looked down for a moment. "Thanks for coming to talk to me."

"Um… You're welcome, I guess. I didn't really do anything."

"I didn't need you to _do_ anything," Ryan told him. "I'm just glad you came."

Tyler nodded, understanding a little. "I'll see you later, then."

"See you." Ryan actually smiled, raising his head for the first time that morning to look Tyler in the eye. "Go learn how to save your family."


	20. An Eon's Inheritance

Tyler headed back to the river, wondering what Peter had in store for him. The Wartortle had said he could help him learn to control water, which would hopefully help him swim better. Tyler had thought he could swim well; in all fairness, he was a lot better than he had been before, but meeting native water Pokémon had changed his perspective. Just evolving hadn't been enough. He needed to learn how to use his new powers properly.

He reached the water meadow and stopped on the bank, looking across the water and plants for the spot he'd met Peter at the evening before. Things looked a lot different from outside the water; Tyler felt a flicker of pride at the realization that he could see more of the meadow now than most Pokémon would be able to. Picking out a likely spot, Tyler stepped into the water and pushed off, making his way there underwater. He got there, fairly sure it was where he'd been last night, but the Wartortle was nowhere to be seen. Uncertain, he looked around a bit, casting about in different directions in the hope that he could find the right spot if this wasn't it.

After a few minutes, Tyler encountered the Wartortle powering his way along the bottom. He followed Peter to a clear spot where they both surfaced. "Good afternoon," Peter greeted him.

"Where were you at?" Tyler asked, unable to help himself.

"Around," the Wartortle said, unconcerned. "Why, were you in a hurry?"

That stopped Tyler. "I guess not," he admitted. "I just didn't know if you were coming."

"Well, I was. Don't worry about me; I came here to help you."

Tyler sighed. "Sorry."

The Wartortle gave him a look, then clapped his paws together. "Good! Now that that's out of the way, let's get started."

"What are you going to show me?"

"Show you, not so much. You remember I said I used to know a Vaporeon?" Tyler nodded. "Well, I know some of the things you should be able to do. I'll work with you on that for a while."

Tyler had a question. "I've never actually met a Vaporeon, except for me when I evolved. Who was it?"

"Her name was Andrea. Still is, as far as I know. That was back when I was in the ocean."

"Wait. Ocean? What's that?" Tyler asked, confused by this new word.

Peter shrugged. "Like a lake, I guess. But much, _much_ bigger. You could swim for days without finding the end of it, and it goes a lot deeper too. There are different Pokémon there. _Big_ Pokémon. If I ever evolve again, I'll probably go back."

Tyler nodded. "Where do you find it?" he asked curiously.

"That's easy enough. Follow a river long enough, you'll get there. Anyway, you were asking about Andrea, weren't you? I met her back when I was a Squirtle, a little before I evolved. We stuck together for a while."

"Why did you leave?" Tyler wondered aloud.

"I wanted a quieter life. Out there, you always have to watch your back. The ocean's a big place. Andrea loved it. She liked taking risks. Although… she wasn't ever in serious danger. She would get kind of superior about it sometimes." Peter stopped to look at Tyler. "Don't you start being like that, do you hear?"

Tyler agreed. Talking about this had made Peter a little abrasive, and he didn't want to get on the Wartortle's bad side. "I won't. So… what were you going to help me with?"

Peter relaxed a little. "You said you want to swim better, right?" Tyler nodded. "And you need to learn how to control the water. Learning how to use water will help you swim, just like it does for us." He paused. "So, what have you done?"

"Not much," Tyler conceded. "I was practicing a few days ago. I figured out how to make ripples."

"Well, it's a start. Tell me, how did you do that?"

"Ummm… I used…" he stopped, a little self-conscious, then pressed on. "An imaginary paw? Like I was touching the water, except I wasn't." Tyler demonstrated by making another ripple between them. "Like that."

Peter nodded, narrowing his eyes in concentration. "All right. Let's see… Well, why do you think of a paw?"

The question caught Tyler off guard. "I… don't know. I guess, because I've always had paws?"

The Wartortle nodded again, his expression starting to clear. "That's all well and good, but why does your mind have to have paws too?" Seeing Tyler's look of confusion, he added "I mean, why can't you use a fin, or a tail, or a leaf or something? If it's in your mind, why do you even need something to push with at all?"

"I don't know," Tyler repeated, wondering if the turtle Pokémon might be right.

"Well, I don't either," the Wartortle chuckled. "But maybe you can give it a try." He turned away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Tyler asked.

"Around," Peter answered vaguely. "I don't know how to teach you all this stuff. I can give you some ideas, but you'll have to figure it out. When you're ready, come find me. But I think this will take you a while." He gave Tyler a wave and dove beneath the surface, heading out into the meadows. Tyler, slightly frustrated with the Wartortle, took a deep breath and shook his head to clear it. _He's probably right anyway. It'll take me a while to figure all this controlling water stuff out_.

Finding the water's flow again in his mind, Tyler decided to try envisioning a fin first. He brought it down as before, with about the same effect. Something else occurred to him. _When I was practicing on my own, I was going to try this underwater_. With this in mind, he submerged and switched to his gills, looking for a deeper spot. It _was_ different, Tyler realized. _All this time I've been trying to touch the surface. But there isn't a surface down here_. The only thing he could do was drag his imaginary fin _through_ the water. This set off a flurry of invisible swirls in his water sense. Excited, he brought it back to try again – and stopped again as something else fell into place. _Maybe that's what Peter meant – that I'm still looking at the water, or my imaginary fin or whatever, like it's part of my body. If it's not attached to me, I don't have to stop it or pull back_. Tyler closed his eyes for a moment. He couldn't take a breath down here, but he opened and closed his mouth again, letting the water slowly filter across his gills as he started to focus.

Tyler started his imaginary fin moving again, sweeping across in front of him from right to left. As it reached the edge of his field of vision, he kept going, sending it to circle around his side. As it started to cross behind his back, though, Tyler found himself instinctively turning to follow it. Once he realized what he was doing, Tyler stopped deliberately and started over again, this time intent on keeping still. It was hard. Each time, Tyler had to fight the instinct to at least turn his head. If he managed it, he still faltered when he tried to pass the imaginary fin behind himself.

 _This isn't working_ , Tyler thought in frustration. He propelled himself back up with a sweep of his tail, shaking water droplets off in a spray and taking a deep breath as his head broke the surface. He wrestled mentally with the problem for a while longer, then gave up. Tyler left the water and went to find a berry, wanting to think about something else for a while. _Maybe if I go do something else it'll help me figure this out. Or at least not feel so frustrated_.

Despite this, Tyler found his thoughts drifting back even as he found a bush and started to eat. He knew he _should_ be able to make the water move around behind him, but he found it hard to see it that way when he was actually doing it. _What am I doing wrong?_ Again, he remembered Veronica's counsel not to face everything head-on. Water wasn't like that. _If I'm going to control water like I'm supposed to, I need to learn to think like that. Like – water._ He pondered this, absently taking another bite.

What was water like? Tyler's first thought was an image of the river, but it was quickly replaced by his memory of how it _felt_ in his new sense. He could picture the water now, not a surface like he'd always seen it, but something deeper. _A lot of what I sense is swirls and ripples, I think_. He combed his memories, but he hadn't been paying attention to the same things he wanted to know now. The only thing to do was to go back and feel the water's flow again for himself. Still hungry, Tyler quickly snagged another berry to take with him as he returned to the riverbank, his enthusiasm coming back.

Tyler stopped on the bank. _How should I do this?_ He laid down on his side, rolling his berry closer with a paw and biting into it. He barely noticed the taste, though; turning his thoughts to the water, Tyler swallowed the mouthful and closed his eyes, touching his energy and opening his senses to the river's flow. This time, instead of just watching them, Tyler wanted to _understand_ the patterns in the water. He watched individual swirls, the way the water passed across a rock and fell into a wave that stayed still even though the water was rushing past. There was something there, just out of reach. Tyler could feel it. _If I can just figure this out… I think it'll help me learn how to use water right_.

After a while, Tyler stopped looking at the movements in the water and tried following some of the water itself as it washed downriver. The water he'd picked out broke and reformed around branches and small rocks; it compressed and flowed around larger ones, and when it passed a hole, it would fall into one of the swirls he'd seen so often.

He quickly found, though, that it was harder than he thought to track it for long. The water spread and mixed with the water around it, so his neat little spot expanded and dissipated before it had gotten very far. _It keeps changing. Maybe that's what I'm missing._ He tried again, tracking a larger area. It took a little longer, but soon it lost its coherence too. _It's almost like I have to watch the whole river_.

 _Think like water…_ _ **That**_ _'s it. This whole time I've been trying to look at parts, but I don't think water has any. It's all the same river._ Tyler thought some more. _It goes around things too. I think my problem is that I keep thinking of things like paws and fins – maybe I need to think of just water. But how do I push water_ with _water?_ Letting his energy go, Tyler stared at the river for a while, willing himself to understand. Nothing came except a maddening sense that the answer was _so close_ , floating just out of reach. He set his teeth and suddenly remembered that he still had half a berry sitting in front of him. Still frustrated, Tyler was grateful for something else to think about, and he turned his attention to it, finishing his meal. Then it was back to the water.

Tyler was suddenly tired of thinking about it so much. Wanting to do something physical, he climbed to his paws, backed off a little, and broke into a run, launching himself off the lip of the riverbank. It was a few feet above the water, so he spent a moment in the air, arcing toward the surface. Trying to make as little splash as possible, Tyler held his paws back and in to his body. It was hard; all his instincts resisted rushing into something headfirst, even though he knew the water would give way. Tyler gritted his teeth involuntarily, bracing for impact.

He hit the water, enjoying the feeling as his body, gathered into a point, broke cleanly through the surface. _This_ was something he could do without hurting his head. Opening himself again to his water sense, Tyler changed direction and arrowed into the midstream where the current was fastest. Keeping his paws tucked back, he accelerated downriver with his tail alone, watching exhilarated as the riverbed flashed by below and to the sides. He felt at home here, water flowing smoothly across his gills as he made minute adjustments with his head, fins keeping him in line as his tail pumped up and down, propelling him forward.

Tyler kept going until the rapid pace tired him and he stopped, hanging in the current and gulping water. If he were on land he would have been panting for air right now, but the exertion left Tyler feeling better. After spending so much time focusing on using his energy with so little so show for it, it felt good to do something purely physical. It had taken him a long way downstream, though, and he knew it would take a while to get back. He'd probably have to walk along the bank; swimming upstream wasn't nearly as fast. _It was worth it, though_. The frustration had burned away, and as his excitement faded as well, Tyler calmed down, opening himself to the river's flow again.

The current was still carrying him along, so he turned to the side, angling a little upstream to maintain his position, and started stroking toward the bank again. It left him free to think, and he used the time to feel the water flowing around him. There it was, again: the feeling that the water's flow held some secret that he was on the verge of discovering. He watched the water as his tail and paws threw out eddies, hoping it would make sense, but whatever it was, it eluded him again. Shrugging it off this time, Tyler pulled himself out of the water and started the trek back along the bank to familiar territory. It wasn't until he was on the bank that he heard the rapids and realized how close he had ended up to them. _That wouldn't have been very peaceful_. Still everything had turned out all right. He was pretty sure he could have sensed them in time to turn away in any case.

As he headed upstream again, Tyler wondered absently why this was so hard for him to master. _I guess changing the way I think wouldn't be easy, after all_. What was it? Each time Tyler tried to move the water freely, he had a hard time sending it where he couldn't normally go. He kept having that need to turn and follow it… _Like my tail. I can only swing it so far if I'm standing still. If I want to keep going,_ _ **I**_ _have to move. I guess water's not like that… it doesn't have to stay together. It's just… there._

He was getting close to the water meadow again when a breeze swept through, ruffling leaves and branches. It passed through like a wave, creating a front of movement and sound, and Tyler turned to watch its progress, suddenly interested. It was the same sort of thing he had been seeing as ripples passed through the water – _Except I can't sense these like I can with water. Wait – that's it! I don't need to_ _ **watch**_ _the water! That's how I can do it. I keep wanting to treat the water like part of my body, or like something I have to see – but when I use my water sense, it lets me 'see' in all directions. I_ know _where everything is_.

Fired by this new idea, Tyler plunged back into the river, opening himself again to his water sense. For a long moment, he just watched, flowing his senses as far as they would go, seeing the river around him in his mind. His heart sped up, and he consciously tried to calm down. _All right. This is it_. Tyler closed his eyes, focusing only on the sense in his mind. _All right. Remember, the water isn't attached to me. My energy doesn't need to be either…_ Again, Tyler had to substitute slowly drawing water across his gills for a deep breath. He would start simple, just swirling the water. Behind him.

It was strange. When his eyes were closed and he just relied on his water sense, it didn't feel like he was watching from his body. There was still a sense of in front, behind, beside, above, below… but it felt almost as if he was watching himself _from_ the water he focused on. Or maybe watching from behind it, looking across to where he actually was. It wasn't the same as seeing with his eyes. _Hopefully that's what I need to do this_.

That wasn't the only thing he changed. _I'm not going to try to imagine_ something _pushing the water this time. I'm using my energy and I know it._ Taking in another slow draft of water, Tyler focused, envisioning his energy going into a swirl behind him. He could feel the change inside him as his energy started to flow, and a few moments later he could – finally! – sense the water responding to him.

 _It worked!_ Tyler was elated. _They were right. I_ do _need to change the way I think. Ever since I found out about it, I've always thought of my energy as something focused on me,_ he realized. _But it's more than that now. I can use my energy to reach out to water around me even when I can't actually touch it myself_.

Something else occurred to Tyler. _Maybe this is what Mother and Father were always talking about. They said we were lucky to be what we are, because once we evolve we can come even closer to our element than most Pokémon can. This is amazing. I can feel water in my mind now. And I can touch it with my mind too. If this isn't being close, I don't know what is_.

 _What else can I do?_ Something, some feeling, was welling up inside him now. It was as if that single act had awakened his energy on a new level. It had been calm before, but now it felt alive, racing through him so he could barely stay still. Maybe he should have been worried, but all Tyler could feel was a rush of excitement, a need to act, to exert his new power. As he had earlier, Tyler sent it sweeping across in front of him, but this time the water responded in a rush. Instead of swirls, a current quickly built up, pushing against the flow of the river itself. Tyler marveled. _Am I really this strong?_ He sent his new current into a curve, slowly at first, but getting faster and faster until it whirled around him in a crazy spiral, constantly changing direction, up, down, behind, around, and back again. Finally he stopped, letting his power go, and the current died down again. Once his exuberant outburst was over, Tyler's energy quieted again, but he could still feel that potential there, ready for the next time he needed it.

Tyler took a minute to decide what to do, but he settled on continuing back to the water meadow. He needed to get back and show Peter what he'd learned so far, so he left the water again and started walking back up the bank. He wasn't too far away now, so he arrived while it was still fairly early in the afternoon. Finding Peter gain took a little longer, but Tyler eventually managed to locate the Wartortle trawling through the shallows, chomping on some of the cress the Pokémon here seemed to like. "Hi, Peter. I'm back," he greeted.

"I take it you figured it out?" the Wartortle asked, and Tyler nodded. "Well. Hmmm… Let's see then."

Tyler nodded again, opening his mind and focusing on the river. His pulse quickened excitedly as the water again stirred in response to his thoughts, and he set another current weaving through the nearby plants. Watching the effects on the surface was different, and so Tyler decided to bring his current up. There was a splash and a small spout of water as Tyler's power disrupted the water's surface. He turned to Peter. "It took a while, but I think I figured it out now." He looked at the Wartortle, wondering what was next.

Peter frowned for a moment, then his face cleared. "All right. The next part is, using that for swimming. That's what you wanted, right? With a little practice, you should be able to use your own current to change direction. And go faster, I guess."

Tyler was disappointed. _Is that it? I probably would have tried that already if I wasn't in a hurry to get back here_. He had to remind himself that Peter wasn't here to train him like Zahna had been. All the turtle Pokémon had claimed was that he was familiar with what Vaporeon could do. He nodded and submerged to try.

Reaching out behind himself, Tyler created a current and sent it streaming forward until it caught him. Tyler launched himself into motion and started swimming, almost losing control of the swell of water that bore him forward. Swimming in the current he'd made was faster, but it felt awkward. For one thing, keeping it with him was hard, especially while he was moving – every other time Tyler had controlled water, he'd been still. Another problem was that it didn't help him maneuver, which is what he'd wanted in the first place. When he told Peter, the Wartortle just shrugged. "That's practice. You'll get better at it." Tyler nodded in disappointment, knowing he was right. _Well, there's some time left in the day. I may as well get started_.

For the rest of the day, Tyler worked on using his water powers to swim faster. He got fairly comfortable with using them for that, but maneuvering was still a challenge. Tyler tried bringing up crosscurrents, but controlling two currents at once was beyond him. Sending the current he was in into a swerve was easy enough, but staying in it when he did wasn't; Tyler was still mostly limited to his natural agility, which was nowhere near the level that the Squirtle displayed underwater.

With the sun low in the sky, Tyler decided to stop. He was getting hungry, and since Peter had left a while back he was alone. Leaving the river again, he was about to head for one of the nearby bushes, but then on an impulse he decided to visit the one he'd fought the Meowth for – he wanted to see how Ryan was doing before night came.

Ryan wasn't there, though Tyler could tell the Quilava came there occasionally to eat. Pulling a few berries off the plant, Tyler headed off immediately to check the Qulava's other usual haunts. He could eat when he found Ryan. Tyler checked Ryan's scrape and even went down to his training spot, but there was no sign of the Quilava. He returned to Ryan's scrape and settled down to eat, hoping to see him there.

Tyler finished his meal without any sign of his friend. _Where is he?_ Tyler mulled the question over for a while, but then he realized. _Aries is leaving soon. Ryan probably went to stay with him again tonight_. While he thought about it, a little shiver passed over him. Tyler was surprised; he wasn't cold, and there wasn't anything around that would have caused it. Nevertheless, the shivers came again and again, and Tyler realized it was his fins that were vibrating. _What is it now?_ he wondered. _I've had to ask that a lot lately. I guess there are still a lot of things I don't know about myself_.

Tyler got his answer a little while later when rain started to fall. It started with a light sprinkle, but quickly intensified into a proper rain. Tyler would have normally looked for shelter at this point, but now the water was welcome. He tilted his head back, letting it stream down his face and enjoying the feeling of rivulets running over his fins, which had quieted now. With no fur to impede it, the water ran down his smooth skin and off his body. Tyler absorbed some of it with a slight effort, noticing that the rainwater seemed slightly different from the water in the streams he'd gotten used to. Cleaner, maybe. Unbidden, the memory returned of the time he'd spent under a tree with the Teddiursa, a few days after he'd set out. They'd discussed not being bothered by weather, hadn't they? _And now I guess I'm not. He was right_. Tyler took a deep breath, enjoying the sound and feel of the rain as it pattered on leaves, grass, and Tyler himself.

He stayed out in the rain until the sun went down. It had been so long since Tyler had been able to let his cares go and simply enjoy being alive. Worries about his family, his friends, or his own progress and abilities occupied his mind almost every waking moment, and it wore him down. Those cares were still there, but for a few minutes Tyler ignored them. It was late, so he wouldn't be able to do anything else that night, and he was here now. _I never would have guessed I'd end up enjoying rain so much_.

Ryan, he realized, would also have been caught in the rain. The Quilava wouldn't have any shelter out there, except maybe next to the old Catcher's den – and Tyler doubted Ryan would want to shelter there. _I hope he's all right_. There wasn't much Tyler could do for his friend now. _Next time my fins start vibrating like that again, I'll tell him_.

It was getting late and the novelty of sitting in the rain was wearing off, so Tyler retreated to his den to sleep. It was still damp inside, though much less so than it had been the day before. He felt a little guilty about going inside while Ryan had to endure the night, but he knew it didn't make much difference whether he did or didn't. _I'll find him tomorrow morning_. With that, Tyler slipped inside and lay down, absently listening to the patter of raindrops in the river a few feet away.

By the time morning came, the rain had stopped and the clouds were starting to part, throwing shifting rays of sun across the water. Tyler had slept facing the entrance of his den, and the sparkle on the water woke him. He yawned, shook his head, and slid out into the water to stretch and get his bearings. _Let's see… I was going to find Ryan, right? I guess I'll practice after that_. Judging by the sun's position, it was still pretty early. Ryan most likely wouldn't be back yet, so Tyler went to get something to eat.

Once he was ready to face the day, Tyler checked the area again for his friend. The rain had washed out most of the scents, and his sense of smell wasn't what it had been before his evolution, but he couldn't make out any sign of the Quilava. _He's probably still out there. I think I'll go look; maybe I'll run into him on the way_.

With his mind made up, Tyler left the tree line and started crossing the grasslands. The tall, wet grass swished against his sides and legs as he descended the first wide slope. As he crested the first hill, Tyler started to feel caution creeping in. It was the first time he'd actually approached the Catcher town during the day, and as he neared the town, he could tell that there was a lot more activity than he'd seen there before. It reminded him of the forest town – which he'd also watched during the day.

There was still no sign of Ryan so far; that probably meant the Quilava was at Aries's enclosure. Luckily, it was a little removed from the town, and the fencing would give him a little cover from any Catchers that might venture near.

As he'd expected, Tyler found Ryan and Aries by the fence. Both of them looked soaked. Ryan looked up as he emerged from the grass. "Tyler! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you were all right. I got worried when it started raining last night."

"It was pretty miserable," Ryan admitted. Behind him, Aries nodded agreement. "Heat, I'm fine with. Rain… not so much."

"Are you cold?" Tyler asked.

Ryan gave a tired laugh, then opened his mouth and exhaled a puff of flame. "Not really cold, no. Still soaked. It's hard to keep a fire going."

Tyler had an idea. "Let me try something." Approaching the Quilava, he extended a paw to touch the other's sodden fur. He drew on his power and started siphoning the moisture out of his friend's coat.

"Ahh… That feels a lot better," Ryan said. Tyler started moving his paw down his friend's side, pulling more water out of Ryan's fur. "Do Aries first," the Quilava told him.

"Actually, I've got another idea," Tyler said as inspiration struck again. He sidled up to the fence, leaning against it. "Aries, lean against me. Ryan, you too." Understanding quickly, the Cyndaquil moved alongside him, pressing himself against the mesh from the other side. Ryan followed, and Tyler started drawing water in again, absorbing it through both of his flanks now. Aries gave a little sigh of relief and turned, pressing his back to the Vaporeon. As they started to dry, both of the fire Pokémon began turning so he could siphon water from the wettest parts of their fur.

Once they were a little more comfortable, conversation started up again. "I know why _you're_ wet, Ryan," Tyler began, "but why is Aries too? There's a shelter right over there."

The Quilava looked across at his younger relative. "Aries decided to stay out here with me. It's… his last day, you know…"

"What?"

Aries nodded now. "I'm going to meet my new Trainer today."

Tyler was lost for words. "How… when will it happen?"

"I don't know. Soon, I guess."

Tyler paused before asking his next question. "How do you feel about it?"

Aries paused as well. "Well… I'm sort of excited… but sort of scared too. I've mostly grown up right here, and I've never been anywhere else." Another pause. "I'm going to miss Ryan too." He cast a glance over at the Quilava, who gave him a nod and a sad smile. "I didn't know I had any family before."

Tyler nodded. "I hope you have a good life." The words felt inadequate, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. He didn't think he could ever quite understand the Cyndaquil; all of his thoughts about Catchers were of how to avoid them, how to get his family away from them – but Aries _wanted_ to be with one. Though they were separated right now only by a thin mesh, sometimes it felt as if Aries lived in another world.

Aries started to reply, but then all three of them heard it at the same moment: a Catcher – no, two Catchers – leaving the den on the other side of Aries's enclosure. "That's them!" He looked back, then scrambled a few paces away from the fence as Tyler and Ryan did the same on the other side. "You don't want them to see you, right? So I have to go now."

Ryan nodded, a brave smile on his face. "Goodbye, Aries. I'm… happy for you."

"Good luck on your journey," Tyler offered.

Aries smiled. "You too. Good luck on yours." Then the little Cyndaquil scampered across to the other fence, where the Catchers were approaching. Tyler and Ryan withdrew to the cover of the grass, but remained peeking out.

There was a young Catcher in green and brown walking next to the tall, white one. The young Catcher was speaking excitedly. When he saw Aries, he ran to the fence and dropped to his knees, extending a hand to touch the mesh. Tyler inched forward for a better view as Aries moved in and appeared to sniff the hand before touching his nose to it. The young Catcher looked up excitedly at the old one, then back at the little Cyndaquil. The older Catcher moved in close and passed something to the young one. Tyler couldn't make out what it was, but a moment later it expanded into the familiar red-and-white shape of a Catcher's ball. Tyler involuntarily withdrew a few inches, but kept watching as the Catcher stepped back. There was a flash and Aries vanished.

A few moments later, the young Catcher turned and extended the arm holding the ball. There was another flash, and Aries reappeared on the ground outside the pen. The ball turned too small to see again, and the Catcher stowed it away in his furs. He knelt down and picked up Aries, cradling the fire mouse to his chest, and the two Catchers started the walk back to the den.

What struck Tyler the most about the exchange was how the Catcher acted. It was nothing like the Catchers Tyler had seen so far; just excitement and happiness. Tyler got the impression that the young Catcher actually cared about Aries – that he didn't see the fire Pokémon as just a tool or a weapon. Maybe Aries would get an adventure after all, instead of the kind of experiences that still haunted Tyler's dreams.

Tyler looked over at Ryan. The Quilava stood with his head lowered, jaw set, and tears leaking out of his closed eyes. There were sparks flickering out from his crest again. Unsure what he could – or should – say, Tyler settled for moving in and placing a paw on Ryan's shoulder again. Ryan heaved a breath, and the sparks decreased until they were gone. He opened his eyes and looked up at Tyler still in tears. "Why did he have to leave? I mean, I know why. But… it's just not fair. Catchers take away everyone I care about."

On that, Tyler thought bitterly, he could relate. Still, he tried to be positive, for Ryan's sake. "I think," he began slowly, "that Aries will be all right. Did you see how that Catcher acted?" Tyler swallowed. The next part was hard to get out; it meant admitting – if only to himself – that Catchers might not all be bad. "It didn't look like he just wanted a Pokémon. I think that Catcher wanted… I think he wanted a friend, too. Aries should be okay." Tyler realized he was trying to reassure himself almost as much as the Quilava.

Ryan nodded a little and closed his eyes again. "I just wish there were something I could have done."

"Why don't you come with me?" Tyler asked him.

"What?"

"I'm going to look for my family as soon as I'm ready. Come with me."

Ryan regarded him for a long minute. "I can't."

"Why not?" Tyler asked him.

"I'm not…" Ryan began. He sighed. "I'm not a fighter like Leo – or like you." Tyler was surprised and a little embarrassed to be compared to Ryan's brother. He didn't really think of himself as a fighter. "I never have been, and I know that. From now on… I just want to stay away from the Catchers. I've had enough of them." He turned to look Tyler in the eye. "I'm sorry, but I can't go with you."

Tyler nodded, a little disappointed. "I understand… I just thought I should ask." He wished that Ryan would come along with him, but something told him not to push it. Thinking about what to do, he suddenly came to a decision. "Well, I'm going back now."

"Where?" Ryan asked him.

"Training," Tyler responded shortly. "I can't wait around anymore." He didn't want to admit it, but watching Aries vanish into a ball, even if it had only been for a few seconds, had struck a nerve with him too. All Tyler wanted to do now was throw himself into improving his abilities, to _do_ something instead of waiting and talking. Without waiting for a response from his friend, Tyler turned and broke into a run, back across the grasslands.

He ran nonstop for several minutes, making it all the way back to the trees before slowing to a walk. Even then, he wasn't that out of breath, and Tyler realized he'd never been able to run that far before. Tyler made his way back to the water meadow. The sun still hadn't reached its midpoint in the sky. _Good. That gives me more time_. Plunging into the river, Tyler immediately reached out to the water, preparing to use his energy. The day before, he had been trying to learn how to control the water, but now he really started pushing himself, sending fierce currents whirling around him and creating miniature whirlpools on the surface. _Maybe yesterday I wasn't trying hard enough._ Tyler wrapped himself in another current and went bolting across the river at full speed. As he neared the other side, he made his current curve around, heading upstream this time. He lost touch with it for a moment, but once he completed the maneuver he pulled it close again and started powering upstream, clenching his jaw between drafts of water. With the combined force of the current and his tail, Tyler was able to advance against the river at nearly his normal swimming speed.

After a minute, he started to relax as the morning's pent-up emotions began to lose their hold on him. Tyler slowed, knowing he was wasting his strength like this, especially if he wanted to continue training the rest of the day. He continued more carefully, working to keep a current with him as he wove through different maneuvers. Slowly he improved, the actions becoming faster and more instinctual as the water reacted to his thoughts. As Tyler became more familiar with exactly what he was trying to do and how he wanted the water to move, his thoughts and his control of the currents sharpened. Slowly but surely, his maneuverability was increasing as he learned how to nudge himself to the sides with quick crosscurrents or spin himself around by angling his head fins to catch an opposing flow.

When he stopped to rest at occasional intervals, Tyler stretched out with his senses, watching how the water moved. It hardly ever seemed to 'collide' with anything; the currents smoothly broke and flowed around obstacles. Tyler started learning to use this to his advantage too, watching for variations in the current in front of him to anticipate the direction to go in order to avoid something. Sometimes, he found, he could use a crosscurrent in front of him to sweep things like reeds to one side so he could pass through more easily. Tyler continued training until after the sun had passed its apex. He felt hungry, but he kept pushing himself.

During one particularly long attempt, though, as he focused on coordinating his movements with his energy and the flow of the river around him, though, Tyler looked down, only to make an alarming discovery.

His paws seemed to have dissolved, and the nothingness was steadily eating its way up his legs. Tyler found himself in shock; he would have cried out if he hadn't been underwater at the time. There hadn't been any pain; he hadn't even noticed until he'd looked down. _What's happening to me?!_ In a panic, Tyler reversed direction and sent himself hurtling directly toward the bank. Unsure if he'd be able to walk, Tyler dipped down low, then angled up, calling on the currents to accelerate him until he went flying out of the water in a rushing splash.

Tyler landed painfully on the bank, rolling over as his momentum spent itself. The impact drove the breath out of him, and it took a moment before he could move. Finally, he craned his head, looking down again at where his paws should be. To his relief, they had come back, but his body was quivering from the aftereffects of the shock. Instinctively, he soaked up the water on and around him in a protective action. Tyler glanced back at the river, breathing hard. _Maybe I should take a break. Maybe this means I'm pushing myself too hard._ Tyler had a brief, frightening vision of simply fading into water, never to be seen again. If that was the case, he'd have to be careful about how he used his power. _I think… I'll go find something to eat now_. Tyler made his way out into the forest, still a little shaky.

He found one of the less-used berry bushes he had visited and settled down to eat. The action helped ground him again, and he managed to calm down. This was the first time anything like this had happened to him. _As far as I know, anyway._ As long as Tyler was careful, he should still be safe. He was a Vaporeon, a water Pokémon, after all. He shouldn't need to be afraid of being in the water.

When he had finished eating, Tyler returned to the water's edge, but he was still reluctant to go in. After considering for a few minutes, he decided to look for Peter, without using his powers. The Wartortle seemed at least somewhat familiar with Vaporeon, so he might have an answer. Cautiously, Tyler stepped into the water again, his gaze fixed on his paws. After a few minutes, nothing seemed to have happened, so he slid all the way in and started looking for the Peter.

Without his water sense, Tyler felt as if he'd been blinded to the river. He could see well enough across the surface and a little ways underwater, but his water sense had picked up things that were invisible to him now. Tyler carefully wove his way through the water, checking frequently to make sure his body wasn't dissolving again. He had to ask around the Squirtle and Marill communities to locate the Wartortle, but finally he found him. "What is it?" Peter asked.

Tyler recounted how his paws had dissolved while he'd been training, glancing down worriedly every now and again. Peter's reaction was completely the opposite of what he'd expected. "Oh, _great_. Not you too."

"What?" Tyler asked. "Is this…"

Peter heaved a sigh. "Yeah… Vaporeon can turn into water."

Tyler's heart lifted. If this was another ability, not a weakness… "Are you sure?"

"Andrea used to do it all the time. She'd brag about it, too. It was one of the most annoying things about her."

"If you knew, why didn't you tell me?" Tyler asked, confused.

"Well… I was kind of hoping you wouldn't. Like I said, it was irritating having Andrea appearing and disappearing all the time, not to mention how she acted like she was so much better than the rest of us because of it."

That didn't seem like much of an excuse to Tyler. "I thought I was _dying_. And I need everything I can get for what I'm going to do." Another thought occurred to him. "Do I have to be in the water, or does it work on land too?"

"Why does it matter?" Peter groused.

At this, Tyler's patience ran out. If the old Wartortle didn't want to help him, why had he volunteered in the first place? "Catchers took my family." His voice lowered to a snarl. "They took my mother and father, and my brothers and sisters. As far as I know, I'm the only one who ever got away. I need to know because _I'm going after them_. I'm going to do everything I can to find them and get them back, and I don't think the Catchers are keeping them underwater. I need to be able to use all the abilities and all the power I have, because _they're my family. That's_ why it matters." Tyler was fuming. He couldn't remember ever being as angry as he was now. _I feel like… like Zahna_. That was enough to sober him. He'd seen – and felt – what had happened when Zahna lost control; had some of her hate left a mark on him?

Meanwhile, Peter had lowered his gaze, chastened. "I'm sorry," he said. "And yeah. Vaporeon can turn into water on land. I think it's harder, though."

Tyler nodded his thanks. "I'm sorry I lost my temper."

Peter sighed. "You might have been right. I'm sorry too."

Tyler was ready to leave, but he had one more question. "Do you know about anything else that might help? Anything I can do?"

The Wartortle shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that's all."

"Well, thank you." Tyler turned and headed out of the water meadow to train again. If turning into water was something he could do, he needed to master how. Something told him it would be important.


	21. For Real This Time

Tyler trained for the rest of the day, alternating between honing his swimming abilities and exploring his newfound power to dissolve in water. Despite Peter's reassurances, it was still a little unnerving, especially since he didn't know how to change back without actually leaving the water. At first, dissolving was a slow process; he found that it seemed to happen when he exercised his powers in the water, and with equal measures of patience and anxiety, his legs and tail faded, then his body, and Tyler finally became completely liquid for the first time.

His first thought was relief – _I'm still here –_ and then Tyler started taking stock of himself. His vision blurred and wavered with the currents, but it seemed like his invisible body was more or less the same shape as normal. When he stretched out with his water senses, Tyler could see himself as a Vaporeon-shaped whorl of water, out of place in the smoothly flowing current. He tried flexing his legs and tail, and his watery form responded, small currents flowing where muscles should be. He couldn't move as quickly or forcefully as before, but Tyler found that he could still control the currents to get around with a reasonable degree of agility, and a lack of concentration didn't make him turn solid again.

As he grew accustomed to his liquid state, Tyler's thoughts turned again to awe at his evolution. _I thought water was part of me_ before _…_ He had to laugh at himself – silently, since he was underwater and his entire body had dissolved. _That's what I said yesterday, isn't it?_ Interrupting his thoughts, a fish Pokémon appeared – Tyler thought it was a Remoraid, though he still couldn't see very well. He froze. The fish Pokémon generally avoided the amphibious species like Squirtle and Marill; this one must not be able to tell he was here, he realized with a thrill. It approached closer and closer, then something startled it, and Tyler gasped in surprise as it darted right through his liquid body. Tyler's movement in the water agitated it further, and it disappeared back into the plants in a flash of movement.

 _What just happened?_ Tyler thought. He took stock of himself and was relieved to discover that it didn't hurt – in fact, he'd barely felt it at all. It had left a hole through him, but his watery form coalesced again as he watched. What if there was still a hole when he came out of the water? He stayed where he was, trying not to worry too much. Peter _had_ said it kept that other Vaporeon – Andrea was her name, right? – from getting hurt. _I'll be okay,_ he reassured himself. _I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all._

Still, there was only one way to be sure. Stretching out again with his power, Tyler willed a current to carry him back to the bank. As his head and forepaws left the water, they coalesced back into solid flesh, and the change started to spread back across his body. Tyler stopped moving as his vision cleared, twisting his head to look at his side where the Remoraid had passed through. In case it had caused some injury, he wanted to stay in the water and hopefully take advantage of his healing powers. As his body came back together, he was relieved to find that it looked normal, and the pain he'd half anticipated didn't studied it for a few moments more, then turned his attention to the rest of himself. His whole body was now solid again, with the exception of his tail, which was the furthest back and under the water. Far less worried now, he experimentally pulled himself the rest of the way out of the water, watching as his tail finally became solid again.

It was strange, knowing so little about his body, but Tyler felt some interest and excitement at the prospect of abilities he had yet to discover. One day, he knew, he would be able to do things he couldn't even imagine now. That's what Father had said once, and it was true. The memory turned bittersweet as he recalled that Mother had gone on to talk about how they would be able to use their powers to keep each other safe. _I'm coming_ , he told them silently. _I really am_.

Holding himself to his promise, Tyler trained as hard as he could for the next week. He split his time between improving his swimming and control over water, and getting better at turning into water. The second one started taking more and more of his time, because he was determined to learn how to do it on land. As he practiced with it underwater, he learned that in his liquid form he could flow around things without being hurt, as long as they weren't too big. Progress was still frustratingly slow, though, both with liquefying on land and solidifying in the water. Remembering how only part of him had changed back when he had poked his head and paws out of the river the first time, Tyler practiced this by trying to maintain his water form while coming out of the water. He had some success with this, but it was still nearly impossible for him to maintain a liquid form on land. Changing back underwater didn't go any better; Tyler wasn't even sure where to start. It occurred to him that if he could just master that ability, he might actually be able to catch a fish. _Right now, though, I can get close, but I can't really do anything._ He occasionally stalked fish anyway, getting as close as he could without letting them realize he was there.

He visited occasionally with Ryan, but the week saw Tyler withdraw somewhat both from his friend and from the community of water Pokémon he lived near as his mind went back to his missing family. Meeting with Ryan was a little awkward too, now that the Quilava had made it clear he didn't want to get into anything else. Tyler privately wondered if that was how he himself had been after Zahna's attack. Ryan didn't seem despondent like he had been, but the Quilava had become a lot more withdrawn and frequently vanished. Tyler asked once or twice where he had been, but only got a vague "around" in response. Not sure what to do to bridge the gap, Tyler just went back to practicing using his abilities.

At the end of a week, Tyler's discomfort with his surroundings had built to a peak again, and he decided that he had done all he could. It was time to start the journey back to the other town. He took the time to thank Veronica and a few of the other Pokémon there for their help before heading out to the forest's edge, looking for Ryan. Again, the Quilava was nowhere to be found. Tyler debated for a few minutes about whether to wait for his friend, but he decided not to. Ryan's decision had left a wall between them, and the fact that Tyler was going out to confront the Catchers – even indirectly – would make a goodbye even harder for both of them. With a sigh, the Vaporeon turned away from the trees and angled toward the path he knew lay to the left of town.

On the path, Tyler pushed his misgivings aside and focused on the trip. The first thing he would probably do was meet the Pokémon who lived on the ridge. He wasn't sure how that would go, but after a day of travel he would need to rest. It disappointed him a little that he wouldn't be able to enter the town that night, but he was experienced enough by now to know that it was a bad idea to try without getting as ready as he could first.

In his new, larger form, the trip turned out to be a lot easier. His stride had lengthened, letting him cover more ground, and his endurance had gone up considerably as well. He neared the pond by midday, barely tired at all from the journey. He _was_ starting to feel thirsty, and he reached out instinctively with his water sense, trying to find it. Tyler could tell there was a little bit all around him, in the plants and the ground, but he was also aware of a larger concentration of water ahead and to the left. _That has to be the pond. This is really useful_ , he thought. Breaking away from the path, Tyler pushed through the grass, passing by several more Mareep on the way. They regarded him placidly; Tyler treated them the same, although he did feel a little resentful when he remembered how the Catcher's Mareep had shocked him. It had nothing to do with these Mareep, Tyler told himself; still, he couldn't help how he felt. He also remembered that Veronica had said electricity would affect him worse now, which didn't help things.

Tyler's water sense guided him directly to the pond. Instead of trying to find a safe spot on the bank like the previous time, Tyler simply advanced until water lapped around his front paws and bowed his head down to the water, lapping it up with his tongue. The action felt unfamiliar somehow, and Tyler realized it was the first time he had actually taken a "normal" drink of water since he'd become a Vaporeon. It was the first time he'd actually felt thirsty, too; it just didn't happen when he was around water. _Being a Vaporeon is weird sometimes_.

Tyler returned to the path, invigorated. The last time he'd come this way, it had taken him the whole day, but now he was more than halfway there, and it was still barely after noon. It wasn't as hot as the last time he'd taken the path, either. Summer was coming to an end, and Tyler spared a moment to wonder what he was going to do without fur when snow started to fall. Tyler had only seen two winters in his young life, and he'd spent most of them in his family's den, warmed by Father's heat. _That's still a long way away, though._ He shook the thought away and broke into an easy lope, determined to make it to the ridge before the sun got too low in the sky. Tyler was starting to slow down when the tips of the rocks became visible in the distance; at the sight, he accelerated his pace for a few more minutes.

As he drew nearer to the rocky slopes, his worries started to intrude again. What would things be like with all the mountain Pokémon? Would they recognize him? _And what if they do? I never said goodbye to Aaron and Erin. I hope they're not mad at me._ He also had mixed feelings about seeing Zahna again. He knew she cared for him, but when he thought about it, the Umbreon was one of the main reasons he felt nervous to go back, even though he didn't think she'd ever let herself hurt him again, even by accident.

 _Well, whatever happens… I'm headed up there. There's no point in worrying about it,_ Tyler told himself. Despite this, he still felt nervous as he reached the base of the slope. Traveling upwards, Tyler started passing into occasional shadows as he wound around the rocks that started to jut from the ground. His path wound briefly through a ravine, then started to level out as it followed the slope sideways. From here, Tyler could see the Catchers' road again. It made him feel exposed; he was larger than before – and he was blue. _Hiding will be a lot harder from now on_ , he realized. As he went on, Tyler spent almost as much time watching the road as he did the path in front of him. He only saw one Catcher before the path led away from their road.

As soon as the Catcher came into view, Tyler took shelter behind the largest rock he could find, watching it surreptitiously. It was a male, with another of the metal things they whizzed around on. This one wasn't on it, though. He walked, pushing it along. Tyler wondered why, but he didn't have any answer, so he shrugged the question off and kept watching. The Catcher didn't look up, his gaze focused on the road ahead, and Tyler relaxed as it passed beneath where he crouched and started moving away. He rose to his full height and broke into a lope again, not slowing until he was safely out of sight of the road.

This was where Pokémon territory started. Tyler started sniffing the breeze. His sense of smell wasn't what it had been, but he should still be able to tell if there was anything nearby right now. An image of Sten, the Onix, swam into his mind. Sten had been around here before – and now that he thought about it, Onix just smelled like rocks. Tyler started turning to look to the sides of the path, looking for a suspicious pile of stones, but he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. It wasn't exactly late in the day yet… maybe Pokémon were still training in the arena. _Would they be today?_ Tyler thought about it, but he couldn't remember if today would be a training day or not. _I guess I'll find out_.

Tyler made his way to the arena, skirting around Zahna's den just in case. He didn't mind putting off the moment he encountered her again. He reached the familiar spring and stand of bushes; there were plenty of Pokémon around. Tyler didn't recognize any of those he saw, but it was definitely a training day. Judging from the sun's position, they probably weren't done quite yet. Tyler climbed the slight slope to the bushes, nodding to the other Pokémon when they looked at him, and pulled two of the spicy berries off to eat. After that, it was off to the arena.

It was like he'd never left. The sounds and smells of training matches washed over him in a familiar stream. Pokémon faced off all around, while others, taking a break, chatted around the edges. Zahna was there, cleaning herself after a match with a large, solid-looking Pokémon he didn't know the name for. Feeling a little guilty, he headed in the other direction, hoping not to be seen. There was Andreas with his group of younger Pokémon. Tyler almost headed over there by instinct before he remembered that he had evolved and was over twice the size now. _I guess I'm not really a "young" Pokémon anymore. Even though I was still an Eevee two weeks ago_.

That was a strange thought, but Tyler couldn't deny that he felt more mature now. Evolution had changed things in more ways than one. Deciding again to remain anonymous for now, Tyler approached a group of Pokémon conversing by the wall. They looked up, and Tyler had to grope for what to say. "Hi," he began. "Ummm… Does anyone want to do a practice match?"

They looked at him silently for a moment, then a taller, green Pokémon stepped forward. "I'm ready," she said. Tyler couldn't help feeling a little nervous. She looked like a bigger version of a Chikorita, with a longer neck that had a ring of leaves. _It's okay,_ he thought. _She probably doesn't want to kill me_.

"All right," he answered aloud, casting around for a spot. There was a clear area a short distance away, and he angled hesitantly toward it, watching her. His opponent was a little taller than he was, but not much, and he realized he was probably larger. _I don't usually have a weight advantage_ , he thought. _Or at least I never used to_.

"I don't recognize you," she told him. "Are you new here?"

"…Not exactly," he answered. "I was here a while ago, but I was an Eevee then."

She cocked her head in thought, and he noticed her smell changed, getting softer. "Okay. I might remember you, then." She came to a stop in the area they'd chosen and turned to him. "So, how do you want to do this?"

"What do you mean?"

"How hard do you want to fight? No powers, some, all? I don't have to use slicing attacks if you don't want."

"I think that would be good," Tyler said. "Nothing that could get us really hurt." He wasn't sure if he could cause any serious injuries anyway, but he didn't say so. Nervousness fluttered in his stomach as Tyler realized this was the first time he'd gotten in any kind of fight since he'd evolved. _I hope this goes better than the last one_.

His opponent nodded. "All right." She stepped into position. "What's your name, by the way?"

"Oh – I'm Tyler."

She nodded again. "Leah." She waited for him to move opposite her, then added, "Are you ready?"

Tyler took a deep breath. "Let's do this."

Leah started moving immediately, closing the distance between them. Tyler froze for a moment, then dropped into a crouch, tensing his legs and trying to settle his mind on the match. He took a deep breath, settling on a course of action. She hadn't used any of her powers yet; this was going to start off physical. Tyler feinted right, then dodged forward and left. He only went two steps that way before changing direction again, launching himself at her in a tackle. The feint was a move he'd done any number of times as an Eevee, but the weight of his tail made it harder to make the sharp turn. He still made contact, sending Leah stumbling sideways, but then a pair of vines lashed out, wrapping around him and jerking tight. Tyler braced himself, but then he realized she was using him to pull herself back onto solid footing. Realizing his mistake, Tyler lunged again, but this time she tugged him forward, pivoting and dodging back. Tyler passed in front of her and the vines released, sending him out of control.

He hit, rolled, and sprang back to his paws. That, at least, he could still do. Tyler thought back to the fight he'd had with the Chikorita. Maybe something from then could help. Tyler smiled a little as he realized what to do and threw himself into a headlong charge. The vines came lashing out again, like they had before – not just with Leah, but the Chikorita too. As he'd done before, Tyler focused on her and triggered his speed ability. Everything around him slowed, but to his surprise, it wasn't the same. This wasn't the speed he was used to. Tyler was forced to break off his charge, and it was all he could do to jump the first vine sweeping in his paws from the left. Tyler forced his dismay back as the second vine wrapped around his midsection. _Not this time_. Tyler pivoted right, pulling it tight in front of him, and got it in his jaws. Leah cried out, and Tyler worried that he'd gone too far, until the vine tightened painfully around him. He leaned back, and the vine uncoiled as she tried to pull free. Tyler kept a firm grip on it, dragging her off balance. He _was_ heavier.

She took a hissing breath through her teeth and flicked her other vine around his forepaws, pulling it tight and making it hard to stay on his paws. Tyler leaned back again with a vine still in his mouth, getting a little slack and working one paw loose, then he charged again, dropping the first vine. It retracted, pulling away from him, and she backed off, her scent changing again into a thick, acrid smell that made it hard to breathe. Tyler coughed and pulled away, backpedaling to where the air was clearer. The scent quickly dissipated, and for a moment neither of them did anything but pant for breath. It seemed like the harsh scent affected her too. As he started moving again, she opened her mouth, forming a ball of green light. In Tyler's experience, balls of light were never good, so he threw himself to the side as she launched it at him. It hit anyway, sending a stinging pain through his ear, shoulder, and side where it splashed across him. She followed up by snapping her unhurt vine into his side, eliciting a howl of pain from him. He collapsed onto his side and rolled away, flinching as the rough ground caught his injury with unusual intensity, then picked himself slowly off the ground again.

Leah was already forming another one. In desperation, Tyler opened his mouth and blasted her in the face with a stream of water. It didn't do much, but it did throw her aim off, and the ball of light went flying past him. A moment later, there was a yell of pain from behind him. Tyler and Leah winced in unison as an angry voice shouted, "Hey! Watch where you shoot those!"

The two Pokémon shared a guilty look, relaxing from their fighting positions. "Ummm… I think we should stop," Leah ventured.

Tyler nodded. "I think I've had enough, too." He turned his head to lick at his shoulder, but that sent another flash of pain through him. "Owww… What was that, anyway?"

"Oh – sorry. It's something I learned how to do a while ago. Are you all right?"

"Mostly," Tyler admitted. "But it hurts a lot whenever I touch it."

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I promise, usually it's not that bad."

Tyler nodded, half to himself. "I think… I'm going to go back to the spring."

"Why?"

"I heal in water," Tyler told her.

"Oh. Okay. …Can I come see?"

Tyler shrugged, regretting it as his shoulder twinged again. "Sure."

Limping a little, he left the arena with Leah trailing behind. He reached the spring and stopped, considering it. It was wide enough, but very shallow – it wasn't like he could swim in it or anything. "Wait, are you going to lay in it or something?" Leah asked him. "We all drink from that, you know."

Tyler thought for a minute. "I don't know." He hadn't realized that there was so little water around here, either. "Let's see… maybe I can try something." Tyler focused on the water in the small pool, bringing his energy to life. He pulled on the water, making it overflow toward him and run down the rocks. Tyler was nervous; he'd never thought about controlling water except when it was in a river or something. This was different. With an effort, he stopped it from soaking into the ground and willed it to flow up his leg. It was slow, but the water started to move against gravity, rippling as he tugged. Eventually, it reached his injury. He gasped at the pain, but it faded quickly as the water soaked into his skin. Tyler sidled closer to the spring and did it again, pulling more water over himself until the whole raw spot on his side was gone. Finally done, he relaxed and let out a sigh. "That's better."

Leah had watched, wide-eyed, the whole time. "That was amazing! I've never seen water do that before."

Tyler shook his head. "I'm not very good at it. I only evolved a few weeks ago. Actually, that was my first fight since then." He wrinkled his nose. "I really need to practice."

Leah nodded quietly. Tyler sighed. "I'm going back to the arena now… it's time for me to find some of the Pokémon I know."

"Will you be all right?" Leah asked.

"I'm fine now," Tyler reassured her. They went back through the crevice into the arena; Leah went back to the Pokémon she'd been talking to before, while Tyler steeled himself and went to find Zahna. The Umbreon had finished her match and was sitting in the shade alone, licking a paw and looking out over the arena.

She saw him coming and straightened, watching his approach. "And who are you?"

Tyler couldn't help smiling a little. "It's me – Tyler."

Her red eyes widened. "You came back?" For a moment, the Umbreon's gaze slid away from him. "I'd hoped… but… I didn't think you ever would."

Tyler nodded to the ground. "I had to. When I left… a Pokémon I used to know attacked me… I almost drowned, but I evolved instead. And then… I just couldn't stay. I realize that now," he added, meeting her eyes. "Even if I can't win… I've still got to try. I didn't want to evolve, but I did, and I'm stronger now. I can't just give up."

Zahna nodded, then actually smiled at him. "I'm glad you came back. In fact… I think I have something that will help you."

Tyler was confused. "You do?"

The black Pokémon closed her eyes and nodded again. "After you left… I felt horrible. It was partly my fault that you stopped looking for your family, and so… I went into the town a few times at night to see if I could find them."

Tyler blinked in surprise, pricking up his headfins. "You did? Was everything all right? Did you find anything?"

"I don't know yet. No one ever saw me, so I just went looking around everywhere I could. I'm not easy to see in the dark. Anyway, one of the times, I found some kind of hole by a huge den. I couldn't get in – there were metal bars across it – but I could smell a lot of Pokémon inside. All different kinds." She paused, staring into the distance. "I can show you where it is. Tonight, if you want."

It was tempting. Tyler really wanted to find some sign of his family… but it had been a long day, and the town would be dangerous. "Not tonight," he responded, shaking his head, and Zahna relaxed a little. "I want to be ready for it."

"Good choice," Zahna agreed. "What do you want to do? I mean… if you still want my help," she added, looking down.

Tyler only had to think about it for a moment. "I'm not mad at you," he began. "I know you didn't mean to hurt me. If you can help, I need to figure out two things. I need to learn how to fight better like this" – he turned, flourishing his tail – "and… I found out I can turn into water while I'm swimming. I need to learn how to do it on land. If I can, I think I can get into that hole you were talking about."

Tyler was surprised to see the Umbreon blink away a tear. "I'm glad you're all right, Tyler," she said. "And I'm glad you came back. All right," she added with a shake of her head, "let's get started."

Zahna began by looking him over, circling around and occasionally asking him to move a certain way. Then she asked him to describe what he'd learned to do with his powers. Tyler explained how he'd learned to shoot water, create currents, and turn himself to liquid. Remembering the fight he'd just been in, he added hesitantly that he wasn't sure if his old abilities would work very well now. "They probably won't," Zahna told him. "At least not all of them. You're different now, so you'll have to find different ways to do things. On the other hand, from what I remember, Vaporeon are supposed to have amazing endurance, so if you're careful you can probably outlast a lot of opponents. Speaking of fighting… You should probably work on using your new abilities. I'm sure you can do more than just shoot water, even out here, and they'll help you deal with things you can't beat head-on. Other than that, you might practice using your tail. I imagine it's pretty strong, and it's going to change how you move anyway." Tyler twitched his tail experimentally. That was a good idea.

"What about turning into water?" Tyler asked.

"Hmmm… I'll have to think about that."

Tyler nodded. He couldn't blame her. "All right. I'll start practicing then."

"I can help."

"Not right now," he told the Umbreon. "I still haven't talked to Aaron and Erin. I need to tell them why… why I disappeared like that. I never said goodbye." He sighed. He wasn't looking forward to this, though he did want to see the Vulpix twins again. "I'll find you later," he mumbled, turning away.

Tyler quickly found Erin and Aaron training with the other young Pokémon. They weren't in training matches at the moment, so he called out to them "Aaron, Erin, do you have a minute?" Looking a little confused, the two Vulpix padded over. Their father Andreas looked over at Tyler from where he was supervising the training and gave him a nod. Tyler turned his attention to his friends. "It's me, Tyler."

They both looked at him wide-eyed. "You came back! That's great!" Aaron exclaimed. Erin nodded agreement.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you when I left," Tyler apologized.

Erin waved it off. "When you didn't come back, Father asked Zahna. She told us… you know, why you left. Are you all right?"

"I am now. That's why I came back."

"And you evolved." Both Vulpix sighed.

"Yeah," Tyler tried to reassure them, "but I'm sure you will too, soon."

"I dunno," Aaron responded. "I barely got my sixth tail, so Mother says it'll be a while." Tyler looked. He'd never counted before, but both Vulpix did have six tails.

"He's just upset because I got mine first," Erin added, earning a quick glare from her brother.

"So what's it like?" Aaron asked him, changing the subject.

"It's really different," Tyler said, thinking back over the last two weeks. "Being bigger and stronger is nice, but it can be a problem sometimes. It's hard to fit in some places, and I can't really hide anymore. My energy works different, too. I can't go as fast as I used to, but I can do things with water instead."

"What kind of things?"

Tyler shrugged. "Like shooting water. I can swim really well now, too."

"So are you gonna come train with us?" Aaron asked.

"He can't now, he's too big," Erin told him. Tyler hadn't planned on it anyway, but he still felt bad at being told he couldn't join.

"It's all right," he assured them. "Zahna said she'd help me work on some things. I'll see you later, I guess." The two fox Pokémon said goodbye, and Tyler turned away again, wishing his evolution hadn't changed him quite so much. Ryan, Zahna, Aaron and Erin… they all looked at him differently now. He sighed and made his way back to where the Umbreon sat. "I'm ready to start."

Zahna nodded. "Shall we have a training match, then?"

Tyler spluttered. "Wait – against _you_?"

"Don't worry. This is to train you, not me. I want to see what you can do, and give you some advice. No abilities for now, I just want to see how you fight."

"All right," Tyler agreed reluctantly, and they faced off. Tyler started in hesitantly, and Zahna rewarded him by sending him sprawling in the dirt. "Come on," she growled. "Like you mean it." Tyler started attacking more aggressively, and she gave him a nod of approval. As he trained, Tyler was reminded of training with Father. Zahna was about as hard for him to do anything to, and she used the same tactic of striking whenever he left himself open and then telling him what to change. To his surprise, Tyler found himself smiling.

During one of the pauses, Tyler remembered Zahna's advice to use his tail, and so the next time Zahna blocked him to the side, Tyler went with it, spinning on his paws to bring his tail around as hard as he could. He managed to hit her in the side, knocking her several steps to the left. "Not bad," she panted. "But don't just lash out. Go for the head or the legs, and you could probably knock me down. If you can hit me like that again." It was something Father might have told him.

The sun was low in the sky when they stopped, and most of the other Pokémon had left the arena. Tyler felt more confident about fighting at his new size now. He was also grateful for Zahna's knowledge of how Pokémon could use energy. Hopefully she would be able to help him master his new abilities. Tyler was breathing hard, but to his surprise, so was the Umbreon. That more than anything else made Tyler feel as if he'd gotten stronger.

As they left, Tyler started asking her about what he could do to develop his abilities, especially turning into water. She put his questions off, but assured him that they could work on it the next day. After eating and drinking, Zahna turned to him again. "I don't know if you want to, but like I told you before, there's always a place for you in my den."

Tyler thought about it. "I'm not sure." It was a strange decision. He'd always stayed in Zahna's den before, but he'd been an Eevee then, and now he was evolved. Zahna had been almost like a mother back then, but now… she seemed more like a teacher. In some ways, they weren't so different anymore, and Tyler wasn't sure what to think. On top of that, the last time he'd been there wasn't something he liked to remember. It hadn't been long ago either. He sighed. "Maybe just tonight. I don't have anywhere to stay."

He followed Zahna to her den and curled up a little uncomfortably in the corner, laying his head on his paws. It seemed like everything was simpler before he evolved into a Vaporeon; coming back here wasn't the same anymore. All he really wanted now was to learn what he needed to so he could take care of himself and find his family. He wasn't sure he wanted to stay any more.

Zahna didn't come in; she would be out doing whatever it was Umbreon did until late at night. Tyler turned and rearranged himself, trying to relax. Eventually, he managed to fall asleep.


	22. The Connection

When Tyler woke the next morning, sunlight was coming into the den and Zahna was there, laying asleep on the ledge where she usually was. With well-practiced care, Tyler picked himself up and quietly left so as not to disturb the Umbreon. He wasn't sure what to do. After he ate and drank, he sat and licked a paw, thinking. Zahna wouldn't be up to help him work on his abilities until later. It wasn't a training day either, so Tyler couldn't go to the arena and look for someone else to train with. After wandering aimlessly for a few minutes, Tyler decided to go out and look over the town. At least he would be doing something.

Tyler settled down near the road in a spot shielded by a rock. Hopefully he wouldn't be easy to see for the Catchers passing below. The first thing he noticed about the town that morning was the river that passed behind it. Tyler already missed being able to swim whenever he wanted. There was a freedom in literally being in his element, where he could stay underwater as long as he wanted and move around faster than he could on land. He felt out of place up on the ridge, with a spring trickling down the slope as the only source of water he knew about. _Even rain would be nice._

Tyler tore his eyes away from the water and focused on the town. He had looked at it several times when he was here before, but back then he'd been thinking about hiding spots and ways to get around unseen. That would be harder now. What Tyler wanted to know was where the Pokémon Zahna had mentioned would be. Looking out at the distant dens, he couldn't tell if any of them were what he was looking for. _Is my family out there? Or are they just Pokémon?_ Tyler shook his head. _It's all right. I'll find them, somewhere. I hope they're here, though_

He sighed. There was only one way to find out, and if Zahna was right, he needed to be able to turn into water to do it. He thought about going back to Zahna's den, but the Umbreon probably wouldn't be awake anytime soon, and so he laid his head down on his paws, staring out across the valley. _How can I do it?_ he wondered, curling his tail around where he could see it. It wasn't the first time he'd tried to figure out how to turn to water. It was getting easier to do when he was underwater – it almost felt like matching the water around him, making it part of him, or maybe making himself part of it. That was probably why it was so hard to do when he was on dry land. _But that's what I need to do_.

Tyler shook his head in frustration. He'd mentally retraced the same path many times over the last week, and he'd become more and more sure that he needed water to change. Either that, or there was a different way to do it. At least he could remain liquid for a short time after leaving the water. That much he had been able to do. It felt something like holding his breath as long as he could, carefully keeping himself as he was until it became too hard and he lost control, solidifying again.

Looking for something else to do to pass the time, Tyler got up again after a few minutes and started wandering the paths along the ridge. He encountered several Pokémon, some of whom he had known. He reintroduced himself to them and introduced himself to some of the others who were curious. The ridge seemed more social than his home in the forest had. Tyler thought maybe it was because Catchers lived so much closer to here. In his conversations, Tyler asked about it and learned that Catchers occasionally did leave their road and come up onto the ridge. Fortunately, the rocks gave some cover, and most of their dens seemed pretty well-hidden. It seemed like Zahna was one of the few who lived down here, close to the road; most of the Pokémon, like Aaron and Erin's family, lived up closer to the peak, further from the Catchers. Tyler wondered if there were other springs or streams up there.

Once again, Tyler checked the position of the sun. It was at its peak now; maybe Zahna was awake. Tyler made his way back to her den, not wanting to go too fast – if he went slower, that would make it more likely to find her ready, wouldn't it?

When he arrived back at the Umbreon's den, she was no longer there. Excited, Tyler made for the spring and bushes. Zahna was finally up; she would be able to help. He found her at the spring. "Hi, Zahna," he greeted a little excitedly, and she looked up at him.

"Good morning, Tyler." She went back to lapping at the water. Tyler suppressed a sigh. It wasn't morning, and after living in her den before as an Eevee, he was sure she already knew that. "Quit shuffling your paws like that," she added. "You look like a kit – if you have something to say, say it."

Tyler forced himself to calm down. "Well…" he started, "I was hoping you could help me today, with, you know, turning into water and stuff."

"I can. At least, I think so," Zahna corrected herself. "But I'm going to eat first." She glanced at him again. "Why don't you go wait for me at the arena?"

Tyler nodded, defeated, and made his way toward the crevice that hid the arena. It was well-concealed, especially for its size, so it made sense that they would go there. Inside, though, he was struck by how dry it was. This was nothing like the river where he'd learned most of what he knew about water. _I hope Zahna knows what she's doing_. His excitement draining away again, Tyler settled under an overhang that gave him some protection from the sun, laying his head on his paws to watch the entrance and twitching his tail fin back and forth.

After a few minutes, the Umbreon stepped silently into view. Tyler raised his head and got up, padding over to her. "No, no, that's fine," Zahna said, angling her head toward the shadow. "You had the right idea. We can stay under there for now." Without waiting for a response, she walked past him and lay down in the shade, patting the ground with a paw. "I want to ask you some questions first."

"All right." Tyler followed her and settled down again, looking at her expectantly.

Zahna's first question caught him off guard. "What's water like?"

Tyler stumbled over the words. "Well… you know, wet–"

Zahna cut him off. "No, I don't _know._ I _drink_ water. I stay inside when it rains. You're _made_ to live in the water. Today, I'm trying to help you figure out how to turn liquid. Tell me what water is like."

Tyler stopped to compose his thoughts, thinking over what he'd learned and felt. "It… It's not like, you know, leaves and stuff. One thing I found out in the river is that water all mixes together. It doesn't really have parts or anything." He paused again, then started describing how the river flowed, how it went around and over obstacles and passed through gaps, and the words started to come more easily.

When he was done, Zahna nodded. "Good. Now, do you remember what I told you about how your energy works?"

Slowly, Tyler nodded in response. "You said… it works on what I'm trying to do, right?"

"Right. So right now, you're trying to turn into water. Or maybe I should say you're trying to be like water. You've just told me what water is like, so now you need to use that. Use your energy, remember how it feels, and make that part of you."

Tyler took a few moments to make sure he understood what she was saying, then he closed his eyes. He called up his memories of being in the water, of being water himself, and focused on them. He reached for his energy, holding onto those memories as it came alive, and willed it to flow through him, let him dissolve into water.

After nearly a minute, Tyler opened his eyes, disappointed. Nothing had happened; he was still just as solid as when he started. "It didn't work."

Zahna looked at him. "Did you do everything I said?"

"I did," Tyler confirmed. "I focused on all the stuff you said, about what water is like and everything, and I used my energy. I tried as hard as I could to use it the way you said and make myself like it… but it didn't work."

"You're sure?"

Tyler nodded, sighing. "I thought it would." It had all sounded right.

"I thought so too," Zahna replied. "But I had one other idea."

Tyler pricked his fins up again. "You did?"

Zahna gave him a slow nod. "It's probably not the best way… But if you really need water to change, that's what you'll have to do."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll have to make the water yourself."

Tyler's thoughts went back to the day before, when he'd pulled the water across his body. He'd have to spray out a stream, then do that… "I can spray some water, but covering myself is really hard."

"I think there's another way for you to do it. You can absorb water through your skin, right?" Zahna asked, and he confirmed with a nod. "Well, you should be able to release water that way too. If you cover yourself that way, maybe it'll help you."

Tyler thought about it. It made sense. "I've never tried doing that," he told the Umbreon, "but I'll try." He concentrated again, trying to remember how it felt to absorb water and reverse that. He couldn't figure it out, though. _Maybe if I make it simpler… Energy responds to what I'm trying to do,_ he repeated to himself. _All right. Maybe I should just try to get wet._ It seemed too simple, but Tyler gave it a try. In a few moments, his skin had turned slick and shiny with moisture.

"Good," Zahna said, breaking into his thoughts. "Now try it." Tyler took a deep breath, getting ready. He focused on the unfamiliar feeling of being wet. Now that he had that, Tyler could tell what was missing: When he was in the water, he could feel pressure and movement as the river swirled around him. Dissolving in the water was like joining the river. There wasn't any river here. _But it's one of my abilities. I shouldn't need a river. Peter said I don't._  
 _So how do I do it?_ It was starting to feel like his first attempts to control water. Tyler knew he _should_ be able to, but nothing he tried worked. Tyler concentrated and strained, but he wasn't able to turn liquid. "It's not working," Tyler sighed. He reabsorbed the water covering him – at least he'd learned one thing – and got up, intending to leave.

"Wait." Zahna stopped him. "Don't give up yet. I'm…" She sighed as if bracing herself. "I'm going to tell you something. About me."

That was enough to get Tyler's attention. Zahna waited for him to return to where he had been laying in the shade before continuing.

"When you evolved into Vaporeon, your energy changed. It works with water now. It was the same for me when I evolved – I gained the ability to use moonlight. But it wasn't easy. I was pretty badly hurt when I evolved – that was my own fault, though. I evolved late, and… well, let's just say that… I got myself lost." Zahna's rings dulled, and her red eyes were distant as she continued. "I evolved that night, and, of course, when the moon came out my injuries started to heal.

"That part came easily. I didn't even think about it; some things are just a natural response. What I did for you with the moonlight was completely different. It required me to understand that response and draw on it consciously. I forced myself to take in more light than I needed, more than I could even use without hurting myself. It… wasn't good for me–" Zahna paused, old pain flickering across her face, then shook her head and went on. "–but the point is, I had to _understand_ my connection with moonlight to be able to use it like that.

"I think that's what you need to do. The simple approaches didn't work, so you need to figure out your connection to water. That's the essence of your abilities. Get started."

"There's barely any water around here," Tyler protested.

"That might help," the Umbreon told him. "It's easy to touch something when it's all around you. Too easy. This way–" her eyes gleamed "– you're going to have to work at it." Zahna gave a satisfied nod, then rose to her paws and turned away.

"Where are you going?" Tyler called after her.

"I can't help you with this part. There's something I've been working on, but I don't want to distract you. I'll train outside the arena." She stopped for a moment. "Good luck, Tyler." With that, the Umbreon turned away and exited the arena, her yellow-ringed tail disappearing behind the rocks.

Tyler sighed, knowing that it was all the help he'd get. He partly believed Zahna too, though he thought she probably still knew _something_ that would help him. He doubted that she'd share any more than she already had, though, so it didn't really matter. Her cryptic mention of how she'd evolved drew Tyler's interest too, but he knew he wouldn't get any more out of her on _that_. Anyway, right now he needed to worry about his own abilities. He was going to have to figure this out on his own.

Tyler turned to look at his body, wondering where to begin. _Maybe I should just try using all of the abilities I already know about and see if I can tell anything from that._ First was how he could control water. He needed water for that one, though. That made him smile. _I guess I'll just have to do what Zahna said, make my own_. Tyler opened his mouth, spraying a stream of water at a rock that ran down and formed a puddle. Using his water sense, he could feel it now, and he drew on his energy, making the puddle flow back to him, He absorbed it, leaving the ground dry again. There had been something, though. Something at the back of his mind… _All right, let's try that again_.

Tyler launched another burst of water, reaching out and sensing it again. He brought it back slowly this time, trying to pin down the feeling he'd had. Tyler focused on the feel of the water in his senses. As he absorbed it this time, he realized what was happening. The water disappeared into him, and the sensation of it did too. The Vaporeon could sense the only source of water around – himself. It made him wonder: _There's more water inside me than there should be… I'm not big enough to fit it all. Where does it go? I can't feel it any more once I absorb it._ Maybe it was because he had a hard time sensing inside him, but Tyler didn't think so. _Still, there's something going on that I don't understand._

He tried again a few more times, but in the end the Vaporeon had to admit he didn't know what was happening to the water. It seemed to disappear, but it was there again when he needed it. He tucked the question away in the back of his mind; maybe something else would help him figure things out.

When Tyler thought about it, that was all he knew how to do with his new abilities – shoot water, move it around, and absorb it again. And now he could release it through his skin, too. None of that had helped him understand his connection to water like he needed to, although he thought he had part of it now.

 _What about my other abilities?_ There were still the things he'd learned as an Eevee. His speed ability had changed; Tyler hadn't tried the others yet. _Well, I guess it's time_. Tyler cast about for a suitably large rock and braced against it, calling on the strength he'd been able to use. A low growl built in his throat as he shoved at the rough stone, but he wasn't able to move it. _That one's gone too,_ Tyler thought in disappointment. What about the third? Tyler faced a stretch of dirt that wouldn't be too bad to land on and focused again, calling on his energy to launch him forward. He didn't move, but a strange sensation rushed through him. Something was supposed to be happening – he could feel it – but it also felt like there was something… missing. Like he was trying to push against something that was supposed to be there, but wasn't.

Tyler shook his head and sighed. None of the abilities he'd come to rely on worked right any more. He was stuck with controlling water now. _It's all right,_ he told himself. _I can learn to take care of myself with them. I like being able to use water_. Still, it hadn't helped him find the connection he needed. Tyler went outside, clinging to the faint hope that Zahna would have something more to offer.

He felt the change in the crevice, before he emerged into the open. There was a chill to the air, and the day no longer seemed so friendly. _What's going on now?_ All of his senses alert, Tyler tensed and moved carefully to get a view of whatever had come over the area. When he came out, all he saw was Zahna. No Catchers, no threatening Pokémon. He felt a little relief, but the unpleasant feeling still hung in the air. Zahna's rings were faded, like they had been before she had unleashed her nightmare pulse before, and Tyler stepped back worriedly into the shelter of a rock. "Zahna? I'm out here now." He peered around the rock, watching as more yellow color returned to her rings. Not all of it did, though.

She turned to face him, chest heaving for breath. "So… what… did you learn?"

Tyler still felt worried, partly because of how she looked and partly because of the chill that pervaded the area. "I'm not sure. There was something… but I don't really get it. I tried everything I know how to do."

Zahna stepped closer, giving him an intense look. "What did you try?"

"Ummm…" Tyler started uncomfortably. "I tried shooting water, and controlling it. Absorbing it too. I was watching the whole time – I mean with my water sense. I even tried my old powers – but they don't work anymore. I did notice something when I absorbed the water, though…"

"What was that?"

"Well… there's somehow more water inside me than there should be. But I don't know what that means."

The Umbreon shook her head. "You haven't tried everything yet. There's still one ability you haven't used." Without any warning, she sliced his shoulder open. Tyler gasped in surprise – _what did she…_ \- and then winced as the pain hit him, baring his teeth in a grimace.

"Aahhh… Why did you do that?" Tyler asked in shock. He took a hesitant step back.

Zahna gave him a look that was almost a glare. "Go heal your shoulder. See what you can learn from that. And if you can't…" she curled her paw in front of her and looked down, considering it. "Come back."

Tyler couldn't suppress a shiver. This was almost as bad as being hit by Zahna's pulse. He didn't know why she'd suddenly turned so hard and unpredictable, so… _dark_ , although he started to get an idea as he thought about it. Not wanting to do anything that might provoke her further, Tyler turned and limped for the spring. He was glad when the path took him out of her sight.

Not caring about keeping out of the water this time, Tyler was about to submerge his shoulder when something else occurred to him. _I should look at my cut first, try to learn everything I can. I don't want to miss anything; that would be bad_. He stopped and sat down. Fortunately, he could turn his head far enough see at least part of the wound.

It looked pretty bad. Zahna's claws had left raking gashes that went partway down his left foreleg, making any movement even more painful than it already was. One thing he did notice, focusing through the pain and shock, was that his blood wasn't red – it ran clear. Licking at it, he could tell that it wasn't water, but it didn't have the metallic taste he expected when he licked his wounds. That was something. It might be important.

Once he'd inspected the injury as well as he could, it was time to heal it. Like Zahna had told him to. _Why did she attack me like that?_ Tyler shook his head and focused on the task at hand. He didn't want to give her a reason to do it again. Considering the spring, Tyler decided that he would need to get both his head and shoulder under the water. He needed to see what was going on, but it wasn't big enough for all of him. He lay on his right side, keeping his shoulder above the surface and breathing through his gills, then reached out with his right paw and dragged himself further in, resting his right shoulder at the deepest part so he could crane his neck around without breaking the water's surface.

His shoulder started healing immediately. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but what Tyler saw surprised him. The torn flesh on either side of his cuts was dissolving into the water. It stayed where it was, slowly flowing together, and after a minute it coalesced again, leaving smooth, unbroken skin where the cuts had been. Tyler worked his shoulder around a bit. There was no pain.

Tyler pulled himself out of the water again – he couldn't think properly crammed on his side in the spring like that. Something had happened that he hadn't understood before. All he'd known before was that water healed his injuries. It seemed like the truth was that his body could actually reform. In the water, at least. Thinking back, Tyler realized that the wound had been absorbing water too. Maybe it needed more water to remake the injured parts, or at least to connect them again.

He thought about that for a while. _So does that mean… I'm actually made of water? It seems like I can sort of… make water into part of me. The cuts on my shoulder flowed back to how they were supposed to be before. I didn't **heal** , my wounds just sort of… erased themselves_.

 _I'm made out of water. It's not just part of me, it_ is _me._ That was an unsettling thought. How did he even have a body, then? Tyler shook his head. _The important thing is, I'm still me. I started out as an Eevee, and some of me still is. Even if my body's different._ Tyler knew that he hadn't changed completely. Vaporeon could still eat, drink, sleep, fight, and travel like any other Pokémon. He still got tired, still got hurt – and that was somehow comforting. It meant he was still real, that he wasn't going to fade away and disappear.

 _So if I'm made of water, why is it so hard for me to change?_ As he thought this, Tyler realized he knew the answer. _I'm not really changing, am I? I'm just… loosening up._ Tyler realized that in the water, it had been something like that. He'd been able to dissolve completely into a water form not just because he was using his energy, but when he'd let himself relax and just float while he moved the water around him.

Tyler took a deep breath, consciously relaxing his shoulders and back and letting his tailfin lay flat on the ground. As he let his breath out, Tyler started reaching for his energy. Instead of focusing, he tried to "relax" there too, letting it flow quietly through his body. _Just… let me flow._ Tyler had never tried anything like this before, but something about it felt right. He could feel as his fins started to lose their definition. He shifted positions, and suddenly the progress stopped, and firmness spread through his fins and down his back again.

Tyler sighed, annoyed, and began again. This time he was able to stay calm and relax until his whole body had gone liquid. The process took several minutes, but finally his paws, which were the last to go this time, turned clear. Moving slowly, he was able to look around without losing his watery state. His vision was blurry again, just like under water, but he could tell that his shape wasn't as defined as before. His body really had become fluid.

He held that form for a minute longer, assuring himself that it wouldn't slip away at any moment. Finally, he pulled himself together – Tyler didn't have any other way to describe it – and turned solid again. He could become liquid now. Yesterday – even this morning – Tyler would have been thrilled, but Zahna's actions overshadowed that now. Slowly, he trailed back toward the arena where she was waiting, letting his tail sweep from side to side in the dust. At least he had something to show for it. _She wanted me to learn how to turn to water – now I can. I hope she'll be happy_.

A turn brought the Umbreon into view, and Tyler braced himself. "Zahna?" He wasn't sure about this. If he hadn't finally figured out how to turn liquid, Tyler thought, he might not have come back at all.

Zahna didn't respond for a minute. She stayed where she was, turned away from him. Tyler sat and watched quietly, not sure what would happen, when he heard a sob. "Tyler… I don't know what to say." She sounded like herself now, like she had before when he ran away.

He approached cautiously. "Are you all right? You seemed… different, earlier."

Zahna nodded, her shoulders shaking again. "It's gone now. I didn't realize…" She trailed off again.

"What happened?" Tyler asked. "When I came out of the arena… it felt like that… pulse you used before."

She shook her head. "I shouldn't have… After I hurt you before, I didn't want it to happen again. I've been working on focusing it, so it only hits one thing. So there won't be any more accidents. I didn't realize what it did to me. I don't usually train around anyone else; this was the first time I actually met someone while I was like that." Finally, the dark-furred Pokémon turned to face him. "I'm sorry, Tyler. I still can't believe I did that to you. I promised I wouldn't hurt you again." Zahna drew a ragged breath. "Every time I try to help someone, I end up hurting them instead. Maybe you _should_ just go away. I'll understand."

Tyler had to think about it. This Zahna he wasn't worried about, but he was still rattled by how much she changed when she used her dark abilities. She was always a little stern, but using those pulses seemed to turn her cold and callous. She'd attacked him with no warning, just to make a point. _But she's hurting as badly as I am,_ Tyler thought as he saw the pain in her eyes. _Maybe worse_. The Umbreon looked haunted, trying to escape the pain and loss that surrounded her. Tyler couldn't just throw her back into it.

"I'm not going to leave," the Vaporeon told her. "But please, don't do that anymore."

With tears in her eyes, Zahna nodded. "I won't. Thank you for not leaving, even though I deserve it."

Tyler nodded quietly. He wasn't sure how to respond. After a few moments, he remembered something else. "Zahna, I don't really know how to say this, but… it's not all bad, what happened. I – well…" Tyler sighed and lowered his head. Instead of finishing, he took another breath, let it out, and started the process of turning liquid again. Zahna just sat there watching him until he was done. When he'd finished, Tyler reformed again. It was a lot quicker than turning liquid in the first place. Color and form spread across him in a wave, and he looked up again. "I finally figured it out. Because of what you did. I don't like it, but you were right about me." Tyler looked his mentor in the eye again. "I found the connection you were talking about. It's not just that I can control water or use it. I… I actually _am_ water. That's how I heal. My skin and everything just dissolved and flowed back together. So…" Tyler shrugged uncomfortably. "It did help me."

"I'm glad something good came out of it," Zahna said bitterly. "I promise, though, I'm not going to let that happen again." Tyler believed her. "So – what are you going to do now?"

"Now that I can do it, I want to go in. Can you show me the place tonight?"

Zahna nodded. "I'll get you there. Is there anything else you need to do?"

"No." Tyler shook his head. "This is why I came here at first. I want to go."

"All right." Zahna turned to look at the sun. "We should leave now, then. We need to get off the ridge before it's dark so you have time to get in."  
"Should we eat first?" Tyler suggested.

Zahna nodded, glancing toward another path. "Let's make it fast." They went back to the bushes. Tyler picked one of the spicy berries and a sweeter one from another plant. Zahna attacked several of the sour-tasting yellow ones. After that, they took one last stop at the spring. Tyler wasn't thirsty, but he decided it would be a good idea to absorb some more water. He didn't know how much he needed or whether he'd be able to find any more in the town.

As soon as he'd finished, Zahna led him away down a path he hadn't ever been all the way down. It twisted and turned in a few places, but soon he realized it was descending the side of the ridge. He could see the town out ahead. The Catchers' road was somewhere to the right.

Zahna's path kept them well away from any Catchers, and eventually they descended out of the hills, ending up at the edge of the town. It was bigger than the others Tyler had seen, and there was a different feel to it – less open. There were some of the dens he was used to seeing, but most of them were much larger, colored in dull shades of gray or brown. Some of them were reflective, like unnatural walls of ice. _What is this place?_

"All right." The Umbreon turned to him. "This is it. I know this part pretty well, so we should be safe. The hole I found is in there a ways." She indicated a gap between two large dens, glancing slightly left.

The sun was going down by this point, so Tyler said, "Let's go in as soon as the lights come on." After so long, he was finally here, standing outside the huge town. He lashed his tail. Someone had to be here.

"Are you all right?" Zahna asked him. "If you're worried, we don't have to do it tonight."

Tyler shook his head. "I'm not nervous – well, maybe a little," he admitted. "But I'm not going to wait any longer. I want to find my family." He turned, pacing restlessly. _Are you in here?_ Tyler wondered, thinking of Mother and Father. He remembered Skylar and Sasha too. Maybe they had gotten away. Carson and Kara hadn't, though. Were they here? Finally, Tyler sat, impatiently twitching his tail back and forth as he waited for the sun to set.  
After what felt like an eternity, the sky was dark and the lights had appeared in the Catcher town. Tyler rose to his paws.

"Are you ready?" Zahna said, with the first smile he thought he'd ever seen from her.

"Let's go," he answered, excited now. He was going into a town – enemy territory – which worried him, but more importantly, there was a chance here to find out what had happened to his family.

Zahna led the Vaporeon in between two of the large dens. They had to pass directly beneath a light; Zahna moved quickly though, while Tyler followed a little more uncertainly. He was becoming more and more conscious of how his blue coloration stood out. Fortunately it wasn't an open area, and it seemed completely deserted. Zahna led him confidently to the end of the passage, where another of the roads passed by. She angled left, crossing in the relative dimness between two lights. "This way." Tyler had anticipated searching blindly and having to dodge Catchers the whole way through. This was easier though being in Catchers' territory still worried him.

As he thought this, Zahna hissed, "Watch out. Catchers coming." She and Tyler took refuge behind a pile of hard-edged Catcher things. He watched as the glow faded from the Umbreon's rings so she could look out without being seen. "Three of them," she reported. "They shouldn't see us here." The Umbreon and Vaporeon waited as the sound of steps on the hard road passed and faded away. Finally Zahna led him forward again, skirting around more lights. Fortunately there were plenty of shadows here.

Looking around at the massive dens, Tyler asked, "Is the whole place like this?"

His guide shook her head. "No, a lot of the dens are smaller. It's just the ones here that are this size. I don't know why." They proceeded past two more of the giant dens, and then Zahna pulled him into a shadow. "That's it over there. Can you smell them?"

Tyler couldn't yet, so he shook his head. "My smell isn't the same since I evolved. Maybe when we're closer?" She nodded and led him into another passage between two of the dens. About halfway down, she stopped. There were no lights here, so Tyler couldn't see, but he could definitely smell Pokémon now. Zahna had been right; there were a lot of scents mixed together here.

"This is the place," Zahna told him. "It's coming from inside there."

"Inside where?" Tyler asked. "I can't see much right now."

"Sorry, I forgot," she said. "Here." The Umbreon glanced furtively up and down the passage before brightening her rings so that they threw light on the walls around them. Tyler could make out a hole, low in the wall. As Zahna had said, there were metal bars across it, and a faint breeze came out, carrying the scents of Pokémon. Tyler couldn't make out scents of specific species, couldn't tell if it was his family there, but this was what he'd been looking for. A place where Catchers kept the Pokémon they'd taken.

He turned to Zahna. "Thanks for bringing me here. And for everything you've helped me with. I couldn't have done it by myself." He turned to the hole. "I guess it's my turn now."

"Good luck," Zahna said, concern in her eyes. "Be safe."

"I'll do my best," he promised, giving her a brave smile. He started to move in close to the hole when a paw on his shoulder stopped him.

"I hope I see you again," she said. "But if anything happens… I want to thank you too. I haven't had anything to live for, not since they took my son. Helping you let me be a mother again. Even if I'm not a very good one." To his surprise, she pulled him into an embrace. "Don't let them catch you, Tyler." Letting him go, she gave him a push toward the hole. Now go. Find a way to get those Pokémon out of there. I know you can do it. If you…" She shook her head. "I'll wait for you at the bottom of the path."

"Thanks," he answered. "I'll find you there." He leaned against the bars and let his energy flow, dissolving his solid form until his whole body became clear and fluid. It was a little faster this time, but it still took more than a minute. This was the tricky part. Tyler had passed around things in the water, but this was his first time trying it on land. It was hard to move without a solid form, but Tyler eased his way sideways. His body flowed around the metal bars, and he mentally held his breath until they had passed all the way through him and he was on the other side. As soon as he was away from them, Tyler reformed. It had worked.

"I knew you could do it," Zahna said proudly. "Now, go. Be careful." Tyler nodded. By her light, he could see that the hole extended back into a tunnel, so he turned and followed the scent of Pokémon into the darkness.


	23. Brothers

The scent of Pokémon was strong and easy to follow, even for Tyler. Making his way through the dark wasn't easy, but the breeze helped. He bumped his head on the first corner before figuring out how to carefully navigate by the feel of moving air on his fins. A short way in, Tyler became aware that the surface underneath him was very thin; it flexed under his weight, so he was careful to step as lightly as he could. A few times, taking a step made a creaking noise and he froze, hoping the sound would go unnoticed. The place was quiet, though, and Tyler relaxed a little. Catchers didn't seem to be around as much at night.

At occasional intervals, the blackness was broken by dim light that filtered in through grated openings in the tunnel. Tyler looked through one and found, to his surprise, that the floor was a good distance below him. Whatever this tunnel was, it was suspended in the air. The dens carried a faint scent of Pokémon, but mostly of Catchers, and Tyler knew that the place he was looking for was somewhere further along.

At several points, the tunnel branched. A dull grinding noise came from one of these side tunnels; Tyler didn't know what it was, but he didn't care to find out. Each time, he followed the branch that carried the Pokémon scent, and as he passed each one, it got stronger. Finally he reached a point where it divided in two. Pokémon scents came from both directions; Tyler picked one at random and started down it.

It angled to the left, and suddenly he could see again. There were more grated openings – not just one or two, but a whole row. Tyler looked through each one; they all opened into small dens – small, at least, compared to the ones the Catchers usually made; these were far larger than even Zahna's or the Ninetales' caves. Tyler's breath caught. Each was full of Pokémon. One held all grass Pokémon; another was full of water types, like Marill and Squirtle. Tyler had been expecting something like this, but seeing it was something else. He wanted to call out to them, but he was still worried that Catchers might come.

He passed another cell, this one occupied by Rattata, Pidgey, Teddiursa, and Sentret. He realized most of them were young; only one or two of the Pokémon in each cell had evolved. _What about Eevee?_ Wouldn't they be in that cell with the other forest Pokémon? _Unless… they evolved. Then they could be anywhere in here, if they split Pokémon up like that._

He continued his circuit, hoping to find Kara, Carson, or Sasha and Skylar, but there were no Eevee in any of the cells along that side. Tyler backtracked to the split and went down the other. This tunnel had a similar set of gratings, but along the left. He passed bug Pokémon, rock Pokémon like Geodude, a Machop that reminded him of Tess, all huddled along the edges of the dark cells. There was some dim light, but from where he was in the tunnel Tyler couldn't tell what it was coming from.

As he investigated another cell, Tyler's breath caught. These were all fire Pokémon, Growlithe, Vulpix, a Cyndaquil… and a Flareon, laying in the middle. Hesitantly, Tyler asked, "Father?"

Several of them looked up. "What was that?" one of the Vulpix asked.

The Flareon raised its head. "I don't know." He got up and turned around. "Who said that?"

Tyler pressed his face against the grate. "I did – up here."

The Flareon started in shock, and as he looked up Tyler got a look at his face. It wasn't Father. "How did you get in here?" the strange Flareon demanded.

"An Umbreon named Zahna showed me this place. It's in a town. Please, I'm trying to find my family. Are they here? Other Eevee?"

"Find your family… Who are you? What's your name?" the Flareon asked him.

"My name is Tyler," the Vaporeon told him. The Flareon broke into a smile.

"Tyler… you got away? And…" he shook his head in disbelief, then looked up again. "I evolved too." Tyler's heart leapt. "It's me – Carson."

Tyler felt like he might melt with happiness. After all this time, to finally see one of his brothers again… "I can't believe it's actually you."

"Me neither," Carson said. Around him, the other fire Pokémon were staring at them in amazement. Tyler paced back and forth, unable to keep still, then he focused on the rest of the cell. There was a basin of water, a hole that must be for waste… and a large opening taking up the opposite side, like a bigger version of the grating he was standing behind. An idea formed in his head…

"All right," Tyler said, "I'm coming in."

"How?" Carson asked.

Tyler smiled. "Like this." Instead of giving an explanation, Tyler reached for his energy again and started to dissolve, starting from his paws and tail and working his way up his body as he relaxed himself. Without giving himself time to think about it, Tyler slid through the grating. He was a little worried about the fall, but his brother was down there, and Tyler was determined to reach him. As the last of his tail flowed around the metal, Tyler dropped. His body splashed across the floor on impact, but he couldn't feel it. Tyler called on his energy and pulled the water he was made of back into his shape, reforming on his side. As his body solidified again, Tyler found himself panting from surprise, excitement, fear, and the realization of what he'd just managed. He pulled himself to his paws to see Carson staring at him.

"How did you do that?"

"I can… well, I'm made out of water. I learned how to turn into it a little while ago."

His older brother shook his head. "That's amazing."

No longer content to wait, Tyler launched himself at Carson, wrapping his paws around his brother and sending them rolling across the floor in an embrace. Carson grabbed him too, and for a moment they wrestled like they had when they had played as Eevee. They broke apart, both panting a little. "I'm glad you came," the Flareon said.

"It's so good to see you," Tyler replied. "I thought maybe I'd never find you again. Any of you. Is anyone else here?"

"Kara is. She's in one of the other cells, I think.

Tyler looked down in disappointment. "What about Mother and Father? And Skylar? Or Sasha?"

"I've never seen any of them here. I don't know. Maybe Kara does – she's been here longer than me."

"Wait – what do you mean?" Tyler asked. "Didn't they bring you both here?"

Carson shook his head. "I followed them over here, but I didn't get caught when everyone else did. He lay down and Tyler followed, sensing a story.

"You remember, when that Pokémon took Kara, I went after her. I was careful to stay hidden once I got close to the Catchers and their Pokémon. They put her in a ball right away. I knew I couldn't do anything against them, so I just followed them. Pretty soon after that they turned around and left the forest. I was behind them the whole way." Carson sighed.

"It was the hardest thing I think I've ever done. This town isn't close to the forest. I had to follow them a long way. They had this path…"

"The road," Tyler broke in. Carson nodded.

"Yeah – that. I stayed behind them the whole way. I only saw a few other Catchers, and they stayed away from the ones who took us. Like they were scared of them or something. I was scared too, but I stayed with them all the way here. I made it into the town – I would have stopped there, but I didn't know if I'd ever find them. They finally made it to this den, and they went in. By then, I was exhausted." Tyler nodded. The first time he'd made the trip out here, he had some experience with traveling, and Ryan's advice to rely on. It didn't sound like Carson had been able to stop even to eat or drink. "I knew better than to follow them inside, but at least I knew where they'd gone, so I found an open crate close by and crawled inside to sleep."

"Crate?" Tyler asked, unfamiliar with the word.

"The square things they have out there, with stuff in them. That's what Catchers call them. I think."

"Wait," Tyler stopped him "You can understand them?"

Carson nodded. "At least, a bit. When they first brought me in here, I couldn't understand at all, but I can tell some of what they're saying now." Tyler had more questions, but Carson forestalled him. "Let me finish. I was sleeping in the crate, and it was dark when I woke up. I was still hungry and thirsty, but I found a puddle on the ground. It didn't taste very good," Carson said, wrinkling his nose at the memory, "but I didn't care. I sniffed around and found a few old berries on the ground over by… something with wheels. Round things," he added, noting Tyler's confusion. "They roll. Catchers put them on things so they can push them around easier. Anyway, I found something to eat and drink, but I didn't really know my way out of this town. I had to look around for a while, but eventually I found grass and bushes. It wasn't really outside, though. They just had some trees and stuff with more dens all around. There were a lot of paths there too. I stayed there, in the bushes, during the day. The Catchers who came there seemed different. I barely ever saw them with any balls, and they didn't seem like they were looking for anything. Anyway, I was pretty safe there.

"At night, I would look around the town for something that I could do, something that might help. I got pretty good at it." Carson shrugged. "Finding food and water was never too hard. There are some Pokémon around here – Catchers' Pokémon, not wild like us – and so I could usually find some food on the ground. I managed to stay away from Catchers too. I came back and poked around by this den. Once or twice I hid in a pile of crates during the day so I could watch the Catchers here. They went into another den – I think they called it a 'warehouse' – a lot, so I went to look that night.

"It was hard to get in, but I found an old hole to go through. It was really big inside, but kind of empty. All they had in there were more piles of crates. I looked in some of them. A couple just had balls in them. I didn't touch those. Some of them had machines – metal things, they're supposed to do stuff. Some of them had food. I ate some, but not too much, since I didn't want them to notice."

Carson's expression grew distant. "Then I found another one. It had element stones in it, all kinds, wrapped in the same stuff Catchers wear. That was my chance." Carson looked back at Tyler, eyes shining. "There was a fire stone in there, so I stole it and ran back to my bush. I always wanted to be a Flareon, like Father. After the Catchers came, I didn't know where I'd find a fire stone, but I found one here.

"I didn't use it then because I didn't know if I could get out, and I knew it'd be harder for me to stay hidden." Tyler nodded in understanding. He sometimes wished he could be an Eevee again; it was a lot easier to keep out of sight with a smaller size and brown fur. "I started getting worried, though, because I didn't know if they were going to move Kara somewhere else. I unwrapped it a few days later. As soon as I touched it, I evolved."

"What was it like?" Tyler asked.

"Well, everything started glowing white. I was in a bush, so it was just all white. I remember – there was a sort of scraping, because I was getting bigger. And everything turned… warm. I've pretty much always felt warm since then." Carson touched a paw to his chest. "There's fire inside me, right in here. The other thing that changed is I got a lot stronger."

Tyler listened, drinking in the details. "I don't actually remember how evolving felt," he admitted.

"You don't? What happened?" Carson asked.

"I was actually in a fight, with a Persian. I lost pretty badly. It was going to kill me, and it threw me in a river to drown. I almost did; the water was going so fast and I was already exhausted – it was the middle of the night too. I don't know what happened, but there must have been a water stone down there. All I know is that I washed up on the bank after a while. All my injuries healed before I really knew what had happened."

"Healed? How?"

"I heal whenever I'm in the water now." Tyler shrugged. "Anyway, I didn't realize I'd evolved until I saw how the Persian was looking at me. It left me alone after that."

Carson cocked his head, giving Tyler a curious look. "When did you evolve?"

"Only about two weeks ago," the Vaporeon answered.

"Wow. You got here fast."

"I guess so," Tyler said uncomfortably. "So – what did you do next?"

Carson went back to his story. "I decided to go in that night – I didn't know if I'd be able to stay hidden another day. I shouldn't have, though," he added regretfully. "I wasn't ready. I broke through the front doors. There weren't any of the Catchers we saw out in the forest. There were only a few, and they were all wearing white coats. They're called scientists–" Carson broke off. A moment later, Tyler knew why. He could hear the tromp of a Catcher's feet coming closer. "Oh no," Carson breathed. "They can't see you. If they do…" He glanced wildly around. "None of us are big enough to hide you."

Tyler looked around too. _Walls – entrance – grating – the basin_! Without pausing to explain, Tyler ran over and plunged in. The basin started to overflow, so Tyler had to quickly absorb the extra water, painfully aware of the extra seconds it cost him. He needed to disappear _now_. He consciously relaxed, drawing on his energy to turn liquid again. His paws and tail quickly dissolved, followed by his head and body, and Tyler finally felt safe. He lay invisible in the water, unable to see or hear anything, though he could feel faint vibrations of the Catcher's footsteps. After what felt like forever, Carson's face appeared over the edge of the basin. Taking this as a sign that it was safe to come out, Tyler concentrated and started reforming his body. It took longer underwater – unlike dissolving, which had been much faster than normal. Once he was done, Tyler turned and pulled himself out of the water. The basin immediately started to refill, more water pouring in from a hole in the wall. "That was close."

Carson nodded. "You're lucky. If you couldn't do that, he would have found you." He glanced out of the cell. "That was a guard. They come through sometimes to check on things. He shouldn't be back tonight though."

"That's good." Another thought occurred to him. "Is that how they caught you?"

Tyler's brother shook his head. "No, there were still Catchers inside. I probably should have waited until later at night, but I couldn't find any way to sneak in here. I had to fight some of the Catchers. The first ones weren't very hard, even though I didn't have any experience fighting like this. They had Magnemite – They're these weird ball Pokémon with metal stuff stuck to them. They use shock attacks. Their attacks didn't hurt me much, though. And I can breathe fire. They didn't like that." Carson laughed a little.

"Anyway, I got past the first ones pretty fast, and then I followed Kara's scent down here. The Catchers must have told the others, because there were a bunch waiting for me when I got down here. More than I could fight, anyway. I turned to run, but I didn't know how to get back out, and more Catchers came up behind me. They got me in a ball. I broke out that one, but then they attacked me with their Pokémon. I couldn't beat them – they caught me and put me in here." Carson sighed, looking at Tyler. "I wasn't ready. I should have waited, figured out something else. What about you?" he asked Tyler worriedly. "Maybe they didn't catch you, but now you're in here too."

"I can get through that," Tyler said, eyeing the cell entrance. "That's not the problem, though. I'm not leaving without you."

"You're not leaving at all," Carson said in exasperation. "This place is full of Catchers. It's hard just finding the way out, but they'll attack you too."

"There has to be a way out," Tyler insisted. "They put you in here, didn't they?"

Carson sighed. "Tyler… They use balls to put us in and take us out. That's what all the holes in the door are for. They never open it for us."

"But isn't there a way to open it?" Tyler persisted.

"Well, maybe. Every once in a while, they put us all in balls. I don't know what happens while we're in there, but when they put us back in our cells, they're clean."

"So they get in here somehow," Tyler thought aloud. "They have to take you all out, so that's when they open the… the wall."

"Door," Carson corrected him.

"Right," Tyler replied automatically. His mind was on how to get the cells open. "If we could open those, then we could all get out. That would make it a lot easier to get past the Catchers."

"But how are you going to do that?"

"I don't know. But there has to be something. I'm going to go look. That Catcher isn't coming back, right?"

Carson shook his head reluctantly. "Probably not. But you never know."

"I have to risk it," Tyler decided. "This is the best chance we have." He moved over to the grating entrance and willed himself liquid for the fourth time that night, melting through the holes in the metal grid. Once he was through, Tyler reformed, and as his vision cleared he found himself in the corridor he'd seen from the passage in the walls. Unlike the cells themselves, the floor and walls were light-colored. Grated sections along the sides marked more cells, all filled with Pokémon. As Tyler walked toward the far end, there were noises of surprise from the sides, quickly suppressed. He found that the only thing out of place on the smooth walls was a rectangle full of markings at one end. He reared up to study it, placing his forepaws on the wall, but he couldn't make out anything more, except that what he'd first thought were marks were actually bumps.

Conscious of a noise behind him, Tyler dropped down to find a small, black canine Pokémon with bone-white markings staring at him from inside another cell. As he made eye contact, it launched into a barrage of questions. "Who are you? How did you get in here? What are you doing? Are they going to catch you?"

Tyler wondered what to say. "I'm here to get my…" _No. it can't just be my family. I can't leave him and all the other Pokémon here._ "I'm here to get everyone out. If I can. I think there's a way to open the cells, but I don't know what it is."

"I do." A stirring sound came from back in the cell as a female voice joined the conversation, moving closer. "I'm glad you're here, Tyler."

Tyler's gaze found a pair of red eyes set below glowing yellow rings. "Kara? Is that you?" The Umbreon nodded, and emotion overwhelmed him for a moment. He'd known from Carson that Kara was somewhere in here, but now here they were, face to face… All he could think to ask was, "How did you know it was me?"

"I heard you talking with Carson. It's quiet at night. I didn't know if you'd evolved, but when you came over here, I knew you couldn't be anyone else. Anyway." Kara gave a little head shake. "If we're doing this, there's no time to waste. We can catch up later.

"Here's what you do to open the cells: First, go back to that panel." As Tyler hesitated, she added, "The thing on the wall you were just looking at. That's it." Tyler obediently turned and reared up, looking over the strange bumps again. "Find the biggest one – you can see through it. Push up and you can get underneath it." Tyler found it. It was several times the size of his paw and had a squarish shape, jutting out from the wall. He pushed up and it swung out a little before his paw slipped and it fell back into place with a clunk. Tyler winced at the sound.

"Use your nose," Kara instructed. "Once it swings up, get a paw under it." Tyler did the best he could and managed to slip it underneath as she'd said. "Good, now there's something underneath. A switch. Pull it down until it stops." It took Tyler a few tries of scratching at the wall, but finally his nails caught on an edge under the clear cover and something slid down with a click.

"Good," Kara said again. "You can pull your paw out now. Quietly." Tyler pushed his nose against the cover again, keeping it from falling when he removed his paw. He lowered it back as carefully as he could. The cells remained closed.

"It didn't work," he said in disappointment.

"You're not done yet," Kara told him. "There's one more part."

"How do you know all this?" he asked his sister.

"I've seen the Catchers do it. They didn't used to clean all the cells at once, so I saw them do it a few times. Anyway, there are two rows of buttons there on the left of the switch. Each one opens a door. Push them all."

Tyler only understood part of what she said. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Kara sighed. "Those things on the left. They're called buttons. Push on them with your paw, and they'll open the doors now." Tyler nodded, looking at a double row of black circles, and reached for the nearest with a paw. When he pushed it down, there was a clank from down the passage, and a door swung out into the corridor. There was a surprised murmur from that direction. "Good," Kara urged. "Push the rest." Tyler sidled over to center himself under the circles, then pushed each one on the bottom row. All of the doors along one side opened. The second row was almost out of reach, but Tyler reared up higher and managed to push them too. One by one, cells opened along Kara's side of the passage, and with each the murmuring grew louder, more excited. When Kara's cell opened, she stepped out and licked the Vaporeon's head as he dropped to all fours again. "Good job, little brother."

They turned. The corridor was starting to fill with Pokémon venturing uncertainly out of their cells. None of them seemed to have an idea of where to go. "What do we do?" Tyler asked. He caught Carson's eye. The Flareon's face was alight with excitement; he nodded at his siblings and turned to speak, his voice carrying clearly up and down the passage.

"Listen, everyone." The corridor immediately quieted. "We've got a chance right now to get out. The Catchers might already know something's wrong, so we don't have much time. They'll try to catch us again before we get out, but we have a better chance all together. If you're scared to run, you can always go back into your cell. They probably won't do anything to you. If you want to be free again, though… Come on. We need to get that door open."

"How do we do that?" a voice asked. Tyler's older brother grinned.

"I was thinking… break it." Carson's words inspired a surge of movement; the stronger fighting and rock Pokémon moved forward and started hammering at the door. It quickly bent inward, giving was under the assault. "This is our chance! Let's do it!" the Flareon howled triumphantly. Pokémon started pouring through the gap. Tyler and Kara found themselves near the back.

They turned a corner before coming to a stop. The passage split in two here; to the left was another passage, while steps led out of sight straight ahead, and the mass of Pokémon milled uncertainly for a moment. "Go up," Kara called. "We're still below ground. I can feel it." The Pokémon surged forward again, heading up the steps.

Tyler had reached the top when they saw the first Catchers, and the Pokémon stopped again. Several strange metal Pokémon hovered in front of the white-coated enemies, blocking the way. "Come on!" Carson shouted, leaping to attack. "The way out is past them." Again, the escaping Pokémon burst into motion again, and the Catchers were quickly overwhelmed by sheer numbers. As they moved past, there was a flash, and a Pidgey disappeared. More flashes came, and one by one Pokémon disappeared back into balls. Tyler glanced back to see more Catchers running after them through the corridor.

One of the Pokémon in the back shouted, "Faster! They're coming after us!" and they accelerated, barreling down the corridors. Carson was in front now, and each time Catchers blocked their way he turned to smash through them and their Pokémon with the main group following close behind.

They kept on, running flat out with Catchers' balls still flashing occasionally to steal Pokémon from their midst, until an open space yielded a glimmer of outside through rectangles on the walls. All of them instinctively turned toward it, leaping on top of Catcher things to smash at the clear coverings until they finally broke through. The newly freed Pokémon flooded through the openings out into the dark town. Tyler glanced quickly around, making sure Carson and Kara were both still with him. _We made it out._


	24. No Going Back

Tyler's heart was beating fast. They'd made it out of the den, but they were still inside town. He looked around, but everything was unfamiliar. He didn't know which way to go. The group of Pokémon that had escaped with them milled around in confusion; those who could fly immediately took to the air, leaving the rest of them behind. Panic started to take hold in the group; not knowing where to go was, in a way, worse than being pursued and attacked. "Where do we go?" someone asked. Heads turned to look at Carson.

It was Kara who supplied an answer. "We have to go in a straight line. As long as we don't turn, we'll get out."

"But which way?"

Kara seemed at a loss. Remembering the river he'd seen before, Tyler reached for his water sense. There was a distant suggestion of water, at a slight angle right. He gave a mental shrug – it was a direction. Looking around at his siblings, he announced, "That way." Tyler broke into a lope, and the group surged into motion again. This time, he found himself in the lead. Some of the faster Pokémon started to get ahead, but they seemed reluctant to split off from the group. Carson and Kara quickly caught up to him, and they started a broken conversation, inserting words between breaths.

"Do you know where we're going?" Carson asked.

"Not really," Tyler admitted. "Away from here. Kara's right, we have to go… somewhere." He turned his attention to his sister. "How'd you know all that? About… the doors?"

"I watch the Catchers," she told him. "It was all I could do… wasn't gonna waste my time."

Carson glanced at her appreciatively. "Always knew you were smart. Don't think… I could've figured… all that out." Tyler didn't know if he would have either.

"What did… they do in there?" Tyler asked.

"What?" Kara gave him a confused look.

"With you. Why… were you in there?"

"Testing," Carson responded. "Seeing… how fast we can run… how far… how strong we are." He smiled. "Like now."

"After some of the tests… sometimes they take… Pokémon away." Kara added. "Like Skylar."

"He was here?" Carson and Tyler asked the question at the same time.

Kara might have nodded; Tyler couldn't tell in the shifting shadows they ran through. "We were in… the same cell. He said they… thought he was fast, too – and then one day… they took him away, like they do for testing, but they never… brought him back."

Tyler felt a pang. Skylar hadn't just been his brother; they were born the same day and had been best friends ever since. _He was here… where are you now, Skylar?_

Kara continued, panting from the long sentence. "That's when… I evolved. I felt _awful_ … that night. Like losing everyone… again. Then… something changed… inside me. And I evolved." Kara broke off for a few breaths. "Not that it… helped."

Tyler had another question, but Carson broke in then. "No more time… to talk. They're coming." Tyler looked over his shoulder, past the running Pokémon, to see several Catchers following them. He only saw a few, not like the group that had attacked them in the forest.

"Night shift," Kara panted to them. "Not very many. More tomorrow."

"How do you… _know_ all this?" Tyler asked again.

"Told you. I've been… watching them."

"Guys," Carson said again, "Problem." He was looking over his shoulder, and Tyler followed his gaze. It took a moment, but then he saw what his brother had. Some of the Pokémon, especially the younger and smaller ones, were falling behind. As he watched, a ball flashed again, and another of the escaping Pokémon vanished. "We have to stop them," Carson said.

"Can't," Kara panted. "Everyone's running now… not gonna help fight."

Carson threw a desperate glance back, then another, running with his jaw set. Finally he looked back and barked, "Scatter! Everyone split up!" As Tyler watched, Pokémon started splitting off to dodge around corners, and the group got smaller and smaller. Soon only a few of them, the fastest, were running together, still going straight. The Catchers split up too; some still followed them, but now that they were down to the fastest, they were able to pull away.

Tyler looked back, to where they had all split up. "Hope they get away."

Beside him, Carson nodded. "Me, too."

Tyler felt for the presence of water again; it was more to the left now, so he angled in that direction. His siblings and a few others followed. The sensation got closer and closer, and suddenly they left the dens behind. Kara suddenly slowed for a moment.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing." Kara stood, head tilted back, eyes closed, and rings glowing brightly. "It's… just been so long since I felt grass, and wind, and… And the moon." She opened her eyes again and looked at them. "I haven't felt moonlight since I was an Eevee," she added, awe in her voice. "Ever since I evolved, I could feel it was out there. That's how I knew we were underground." The Umbreon looked at her brothers, eyes shining. "But I've never felt it like this before."

Tyler understood; it was the way he felt in the water. Carson spoke up again. "Kara, we can't stay out in the open like this. We have to keep going." He looked around. "Actually, I recognize this place. There's a pond here. That's probably what you found."

"Oh." Tyler looked down. "So it's not outside the town?" he asked, embarrassed.

Carson shook his head. "Don't worry about it. There are places to hide and rest here. I didn't get anything to drink before we left, so I could use it after all that running."

"I didn't, either. It never occurred to me," Kara added.

Tyler nodded. He didn't feel thirsty at all. _Made of water, Tyler, remember?_ Carson turned to address the few other Pokémon that were still with them. "We're stopping here. You can keep going, if you want." He pointed with a paw. "That's the fastest way out of town. Otherwise, you should find somewhere to hide. There's water over there."

Carson led them to the pond, and he and Kara bent their heads to drink. Tyler slid into the water, welcoming its feel on his skin as the dust washed away. He'd only been on the dry ridge for two days, but it felt longer than that. Tyler drew water across his gills, savoring the feeling, then dove to the bottom. He didn't know how long they might have, so he kept glancing back to where his siblings lapped water at the pond's edge – not that he could see them, but when Tyler concentrated he could sense the ripples their tongues made.

They stopped after a minute, and Tyler sighed, sending a cloud of bubbles toward the surface. He turned and quickly swam back, leaping out of the water at the pond's edge. When he landed, Tyler took a few running steps to slow down. Water dripped off him and he instinctively went to shake dry, but it quickly absorbed into his skin. He tossed his head anyway, stretching his neck out in the cool night air. "That felt good," he told his siblings, opening his mouth in a grin. Kara smiled back, with a knowing glance at the moon.

Carson looked impatient. "What's wrong?" Tyler asked. "I thought you said we were stopping."

"Why are we stopping here?" Kara added. "We can get out before dawn."

"Well… Maybe not stopping all night," Carson said, suddenly looking embarrassed. "But since we're here… there's something I wanted to see. This park is where I was hiding before I got myself caught." Tyler and his sister followed the Flareon curiously. He wound between bushes and crossed a hard gray path like a miniature road. Finally the Flareon stopped at another bush and poked his head inside. Tyler heard a muffled, "It's still here!" before the Flareon backed out again, tugging something in his mouth. Tyler edged forward curiously. Something soft… and laying on top of it, a warm orange glow.

He gasped. "Is that your fire stone?" Carson nodded, and Tyler stared fascinated at it, trying to imagine his own. The crystal flowed in wavy edges and lines, with edges broken off here and there to make smoothly curved cracks like cuts carved into the hard stone. The patterned glow seemed to shift with each small movement; when Tyler walked around it, the flicker was almost like watching a real flame. How would a water stone look? Did it glow blue? Was it shaped differently? Suddenly he had a desire to go back to the rapids where he'd evolved and search for it.

Carson put his paw on the stone; Tyler edged closer, but he didn't touch it. He wasn't sure what would happen if he did. Probably nothing. _Probably._ He didn't want to find out; fire and water didn't mix.

"What are you going to do with it?" Kara asked.

"I don't know," Carson said. "I don't need it, but we ended up here, so I wanted to see it again."

"Maybe you can leave it there," she suggested. "No one's found it yet."

Carson nodded slowly. "All right." He nosed the stone back into the bush. Then he pulled the soft material over it, covering the glow. "You're right, we should get going again." He looked around for a moment. "If I remember right, this is the way out of town." The three Eons started moving again, at a walk this time.

They hadn't gone far when Tyler's siblings started sniffing the wind. "They're coming again," Kara said. "Pokémon out now."

Tyler sniffed too, but he couldn't smell anything. "Are we in trouble?"

It was Carson who answered. "I don't think they'll find us. The breeze is in our favor now, so their Pokémon won't be able to track us. But – I think they're headed for the park…" He closed his eyes for a moment. "The Pokémon who hid there… They'll find them. It'll be just like when they came to the forest." He gritted his teeth. "We can't let that happen." Tyler and Kara both nodded.

"What can we do?" Tyler asked. "Warn them?"

Carson shook his head. "We won't find them all in time. And they might not be ready to run again. I don't know what we can do. Go fight?" The Flareon paced a frustrated circle.

"There is one thing." Haltingly, Kara shared her idea. "If we go back… we can draw them off. Make them…" She exhaled. "Make them follow us, instead."

"What if they just catch you – us – again?" Tyler asked worriedly.

Kara sighed. "It's a risk. I don't want to do it… don't want to get taken back there… but I think they have to have the right ones. Unless they have the ones they caught us in at first, they can't just take us back." She shook her head. "I don't want to let it come to that, though. Let's keep away from them."

"Then how—" Tyler began. Carson cut him off. "We have to move _now_. We can figure it out on the way."

They turned around, breaking into a run again. Tyler trailed a little behind his older brother and sister as they headed toward the Catchers' scents. "So what's the plan?"

"Don't get too close," Kara answered. "Attack them, attack their Pokémon, get their attention… then run."

"Sounds good," Carson said. They kept going, serving to avoid lights and follow the Catchers' scent, paws pattering on hard ground. Finally Carson and Kara both stopped in the shadow of a den. Tyler did too; he could hear them now, both Catcher feet and sounds of Pokémon, some of the same kinds that had attacked them in the forest. "They're about to reach us," Carson said. A hollow-sounding roar started to build in his chest. "Now!" he shouted, and a puff of flame escaped his mouth.

The three siblings rushed around the corner. There were two Catchers passing under a light, accompanied by an Ekans, an Arbok, and an armored Rhyhorn. Carson immediately started spraying embers across the distance. Tyler focused his power and joined in with blasts of water, trying to aim for the ones on the right since Carson was mostly aiming left. Most of his blasts missed, but some hit – one even caught one of the Catchers in the stomach. Disappointingly, neither his water blasts nor Carson's fire attacks seemed to do much at that distance. _That got their attention, though._ Both Catchers broke into a run, pointing and shouting, and the Pokémon started after them.

"That's enough," Kara said. "Come on!" Tyler, Kara, and Carson turned and started running again. Carson took the lead, guiding them down a road toward the edge of town. The Catchers rounded the corner behind them, along with the Arbok and Rhyhorn. There was a flash behind them. Tyler wasn't sure what it was, but then he heard a snap of flapping wings. Some kind of large batlike Pokémon swooped down and sank fangs into his back. Tyler cried out; turning sideways, he rolled over at running speed. There was a surprised squeak underneath him, and his attacker came off as Tyler found his paws again and continued running. The leathery snap resumed a few moments later as the bat started coming at them again.

"I've got an idea," Kara panted. "Close your eyes!" Tyler did, running blind for a moment. There was a bright flash he could even make out with his eyes closed. "All right," Kara panted. He opened his eyes again. The bat had fallen back; now they were out of reach of everything but the Rhyhorn, which was still thundering after them, coming closer and closer. Tyler turned and fired another jet of water at it; to his surprise, the Rhyhorn slowed and hunched protectively against his attack. It was too close now, though; Tyler had to throw himself to the side to keep from being rammed.

"Come on! This way!" Carson's voice rang out from across the road. Tyler saw his siblings take a corner and he followed, scrambling to keep up. The Rhyhorn had to skid to a stop, and they were able to get ahead while it changed direction. Tyler and his siblings were running flat out now; he could hear the Catchers approaching the turn, but Carson turned another corner and his siblings followed. They made it before any of their pursuers reached the corner they'd just taken. Carson slowed to a more normal pace. "Hopefully… that lost… them," he puffed, glancing back.

Carson led them around two more turns to keep away from their pursuers, and they kept going for a while longer. At last, the Catchers' dens gave way to grass and trees. Tyler looked around; the ridge was far off to the right, which meant the river was somewhere on their left. _I can't go there tonight. It's really late._ Tyler realized the night was more than halfway over, and now that the immediate danger was gone, he found himself yawning.

"We should find somewhere to sleep," Kara said, looking at him. A moment later, she yawned too, then shook her head. "We _all_ need it."

They were headed into a grassy area; trees sprang up all over the place, but not enough to make a forest. They picked a tree to shelter under and made their way to it; along the way, Tyler turned his attention to his back. The bite was throbbing painfully; it didn't have anything to do with how he moved. Tyler thought he knew what that meant. _Keep calm, don't panic_. "Guys," he said aloud, "I think that thing had poison fangs."

They both turned to him. "Are you all right?" Carson exclaimed.

Tyler gave a short nod. "For now. If it did poison me, it'll get worse."

Tyler's siblings stared at him in concern. "Is there anything we can do?" Carson asked.

Tyler thought about it. "There's… a kind of berry that helps with poison. Maybe we can find one."

"What do they look like?"

Tyler turned to his brother. "They're big, sort of pinkish, and they have a lot of juice." He looked around for somewhere to start.

"You should stay here and rest," Kara said quietly. "We'll look."

"I'm all right for now," Tyler protested.

"If you're poisoned, though, moving around will make it worse."

Tyler turned his attention to his back. The pain was spreading. Definitely poison. He nodded and lay down under the tree, curling his tail around him. Carson and Kara looked at each other and headed off in different directions. It was hard to see them go again. "Carson? Kara?" Tyler called. They hesitated. "Come back soon."

"Don't worry, little brother," Carson told him. "We will. We'll find something to help you."

Tyler nodded, watching until they disappeared into the grass. He lay his head down on his paws, trying to ignore the feeling of poison creeping through him. It was impossible to get out of his mind, though. _Maybe… I can flush it out?_ _Or something?_ Tyler was already laying still, so he exhaled and started drawing on his energy to liquefy again. It was harder this time; the poison resisted his efforts. After a few minutes, though, he was able to become completely liquid. Using his water sense, he could tell where things were wrong. The poison was spreading deeper; he couldn't feel it now, but it would come back once he reformed. Tyler turned his focus on himself, moving tainted water toward his surface, away from his insides. The poison made it hard to stay liquid for so long, so he let himself reform again. The pain came back all over his back and sides, but at least it wasn't too far inside him now.

 _Maybe there's one more thing I can try._ Tyler drew on his energy again and started releasing water through his skin. It streamed off him, and he started to smell something new. Something wrong. Tyler shuddered. He didn't reabsorb any of it; he picked himself up and moved over a few feet to a dry spot, checking himself hopefully. He thought it might feel a little better now. _But it didn't get rid of the poison. Not much of it_. He sighed. That was all he knew how to do, and the lack of sleep was weighing on him now. Laying down, he could barely keep his eyes open, so the Vaporeon finally gave up and let sleep take him.

Tyler woke again to softly glowing rings and a paw shaking him. It was still dark. "Tyler? Are you all right?" Kara stood over him, concern in her ruby eyes.

He rolled over. The poison had spread some more. He felt weaker, but he wasn't out yet. "Not… too bad."

Carson padded up. "We couldn't find the berries you were talking about. But we brought you these." He laid down a few berries of different kinds. "Every bit helps, right?"

Tyler tiredly pushed them away. "Not right now. When we wake up." He looked at his brother and sister. "You need to sleep too."

Kara nodded her consent, still looking at him with concern. "You're right." She curled up next to them. "But wake us up if anything happens." Carson came and lay down with them too, and Tyler slept with family for the first time in months. Despite everything else, he felt happy.

When Tyler woke the next day, the sun was well above the horizon. Carson was gone from where he'd been laying; Tyler looked around and found him sitting in the sun, looking out over the grass. He stretched carefully. The pain had gone down, but Tyler felt a lot weaker now. He dragged himself to his paws and Carson looked over. "Are you all right?"

Tyler shook his head wearily. "Not really. But I'll make it." He found the berries and carried them over to where his brother sat, then sat down with him and took a deep breath before biting into one. Eating felt good; he needed the food.

Carson looked out at grass and trees again. "It's… beautiful out here." He turned to Tyler. "I didn't think I'd ever get to see this again."

Tyler pushed his head into his brother's shoulder. "I'm glad I found you. And that you and Kara got out."

"Yeah," Carson agreed. He looked down at Tyler. "But we're not safe yet. You're still hurt, and they might be coming after us. We need somewhere safe to stay."

"I know a place." Tyler said. "Up there, on the ridge, there are a lot of Pokémon. They take care of each other."

"Can you make it?" Carson asked.

Tyler nodded. "I think so. And they have the poison-healing berries there."

"Well, we should get going." Carson eyed him. "You're not getting any better." Tyler sighed and nodded, looking down. His brother was right. Carson went over and shook Kara. "Come on, we have to go."

"It's _early_ ," Kara protested, a glow coming reluctantly to her rings. Tyler couldn't help laughing. "What's wrong now?" Kara asked him crossly.

Tyler shook his head. "You sound just like Zahna. She's an Umbreon I know, up on the ridge," he explained, with another laugh. "I've never seen her get up before noon."

"Well, I'm glad you're happy about it." Kara didn't move. "I _like_ it at night. Is there a problem with that?"

"No," Tyler said. "But—"

"We don't have time for that right now," Carson interrupted. "The Catchers might be looking for us, now that it's daytime. And we need to get up to the ridge. Tyler is still poisoned."

 _Right_. Tyler sighed. He didn't want to think about it, but he _was_ getting weaker. Kara stiffened and finally got up. "I'm sorry, Tyler, I forgot. I'm awake now. So, where are we going?"

"Up there." Tyler turned to gaze at the ridge in the distance. "There are Pokémon who'll help us there."

"Are you sure you can make it there?" Carson asked him again.

Tyler shrugged. "I have to. Hang on, there's one thing I can try." He concentrated and started liquefying again. It was even harder this time; his weakness worked with the poison against him. After several difficult minutes, he finally managed it – but when he tried to shift the poison again, he realized it was too late. The taint mixed all through him, with only a few spots of clean water at his head and tail. There wasn't anything he could do. Tyler reformed again, breathing heavily from the effort. "It won't work. Not this time."

"What was that?" Carson asked.

"Tried to move the poison," Tyler said. "Last night I could. I pushed it back closer to my skin. But it's too spread out now." He shook his head. "Nothing we can do but go."

They moved out, slowly crossing the meadows toward the ridge. Carson and Kara stayed close to Tyler, watching him anxiously; Carson frequently turned away to stop, listen, and sniff the air. Each time he caught up, shaking his head. "Nothing so far."

Around noon, though, he came back with a different report. "Catchers. More than one. They're coming." Tyler groaned. That would make everything harder, and they still weren't close to the ridge. He forced himself to move faster.

"How are you holding up?" Kara asked from beside him.

"All right," Tyler answered determinedly.

"I'm amazed you're still on your paws. You got poisoned half a day ago."

"Zahna told me Vaporeon can last a long time."

"I guess so," Kara said. She shook her head. "Sorry, Tyler, I shouldn't say things like that. I want you safe." She looked ahead again. "We're _going_ to make it."

They got a little further before Carson spoke up again. "Guys? Problem." The Flareon was looking up at the sky. Tyler and Kara followed his gaze, and Tyler could see a dark shape speeding away from them. "It was coming our way," Carson said. "Just a few seconds ago, it suddenly turned around and started going back." The shape dropped out of sight. "My guess is it was looking for Pokémon who got away, like us. If I'm right, they'll be here soon." They kept moving, getting closer to the ridge all the time. Tyler felt a little worse now, but he didn't stop.

The first sign that something was wrong was a vibration in the ground. _What's that?_ Tyler turned to his siblings and saw the same confusion reflected in their eyes. The vibration resolved into a rhythmic, heavy thump of running hooves. Carson and Kara shared another look and turned to face it.

"Keep going, Tyler," Carson said.

"What about you?"

"We talked last night," Kara answered. "Unless they have our balls, we'll get away. Their other ones won't work on us. But you can't let them see you. You have to go, _now_. Don't turn back."

Tyler didn't waste time arguing. "Just one thing. If I don't find you, go up the ridge. Look for an Umbreon named Zahna. I'll meet you there."

Carson nodded, still staring in the direction of their new threat. "All right. Now get out of here before they come."

"All right." Tears came to Tyler's eyes. "Good luck. Keep yourself safe." He turned away again and limped into thicker grass, making his way toward the ridge. A minute later he heard the sounds of battle. The Vaporeon shook his head, tears streaming from his eyes as he pressed on. _I hope I see them again_.

The sun started its downward path. Tyler still hadn't been attacked; his brother and sister must have managed to lead the Catchers away. Or they'd been caught, and the Catchers didn't know he'd been with them. He shook that thought away. They'd had a plan. To protect him.

As he went on, it got harder and harder to keep going. Tyler hadn't eaten anything since morning, and poison and traveling were taking a heavy toll on him. He had to use some of his own water to drink. It had an unpleasant taste. _There's poison in the water. So? It's already inside me._ What should have been a half-day's journey stretched almost the whole day, but by late afternoon Tyler was on his way up the ridge. The slope didn't help; Tyler had to consciously put one paw in front of another now. _I. can't. give. up._ By sheer willpower, Tyler made it up and across the Catcher's road. Would Zahna be there? _She's probably still waiting for me. Or she went looking when I didn't make it back during the night_.

Tyler didn't notice anything wrong until something hit him on the side. There was an oddly familiar rushing sound and everything went white. The light faded, and Tyler found himself in a strange forest. _What's going on?_ He looked around. There was no wind, no sound. Nothing. Then it clicked. That noise – _A ball. I'm in a ball!_ His breath started coming in rapid, shallow pants. _Break it. How?_ Tyler lurched over to the nearest tree and put all his strength into a lunge. Nothing happened, and Tyler fell to the ground. The tree felt wrong against his skin; it wasn't rough enough. He tried again, this time opening his mouth to fire a jet of water at it. All he could manage was a weak stream. _I don't… have anything left. That's it. I'm… done. After all this, finding Carson and Kara… getting them out…_ Tyler stopped trying to hold himself up and buried his head in his paws, sobbing into them on the floor of his new prison.

 _Claire ran back down Route 40 as fast as she could. She fell and got a few scrapes on the downhill slope, but the trainer brushed them off. That poor Vaporeon… She could tell something bad had happened to it. Out of potions, all she could do was get it to the PokéCenter as quickly as possible._

 _The sun was almost down when she stumbled through the entrance. Summer was ending; it was barely seven at night and already going dark. Luckily, there was no line at the counter. "Nurse Joy," she panted to the woman behind the counter, "I need my Pokémon healed." She started unclipping balls from her belt, passing them over one by one._

 _"You're in a hurry," Nurse Joy remarked, placing the balls into a tray. When she had all four, she slid it into the machine and pushed a button. There was a hum as it powered up._

 _"I ran. This is important." Claire relaxed, knowing the healing machine was doing its work._

 _"All right. It'll be a while," the nurse said._

 _Claire nodded. "Oh – can I get a room for the night, too?"_

 **Part III End**


	25. Claire (part IV)

**Part IV - Training**

 _"Excuse me, miss." It was Nurse Joy again, standing in the doorway. She didn't look happy. Claire checked her watch, which was on the shelf. She'd only been asleep for a few hours._

 _"What is it?"_

 _The nurse's voice became stern. "I got the diagnosis back. I don't know_ what _you did to that Vaporeon, but it's too serious to just pop its ball into the machine and think that'll make everything better."_

 _Claire's pulse quickened. "What?"_

 _"We've patched up the physical injuries. I don't know_ what _you were doing, but you ran the poor thing Into. The. Ground." She laid a heavy emphasis on each of the last three words. "It's_ _ **exhausted**_ _. And poisoned." Nurse Joy glared at her. "I'll have you know that this kind of behavior is inexcusably careless. I'm filing a warning on your League record."_

 _Claire's mind whirled, trying to take all this in. "Wait! I didn't do that. Do you think I would…" She trailed off with tears in her eyes. "I found it like that this evening. That's why I ran all the way back here."_

 _Joy's expression softened a little. "All right. I'll check the ball's capture record." She headed back to the main room of the Center. Fully awake by this point, Claire slipped her shoes on and followed. Nurse Joy went to a console and tapped on the screen a few times before turning back to the trainer. "I'm sorry. You're right, it was recorded as a new capture this evening."_

 _"So you believe me?"_

 _The nurse nodded. "There's no way you could have done that to a Pokémon in one battle."_

 _"Will it be all right?"_

 _Nurse Joy checked something else. "_ He _, apparently. He'll need a few days of rest at least. And an antidote." She stepped over to a cabinet and pulled out a familiar green bottle, murmuring to herself. "Now, let's see. According to this-" she stepped back to the screen "-the ideal delivery method for a Vaporeon is… topical. Mix with water, spray over them so they absorb it."_

 _Claire stepped up the counter. "Please, Nurse… Can I do it?"_

 _Joy looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Yes, you can. If you're going to own a Vaporeon, you should learn the right way to care for him." She pulled an empty bottle out as she spoke and filled it about half full of water before opening the antidote and pouring the contents in. She screwed on a spray nozzle and shook it a few times before setting it on the counter. The nurse returned to the healing machine and slid out the tray with Claire's set of Poke Balls, selecting one and returning it to the trainer. "There he is. Take the antidote too." Claire did as instructed, expanding the ball to full size and following the nurse into an examination room._

 _Nurse Joy indicated a white table. "Use that." Claire pointed with the Vaporeon's ball, but Joy stopped her. "Spray the table first. He absorbs water through his skin, so you want to get underneath, and laying on something wet might comfort him."_

 _Claire nodded and sprayed the table until it glistened, then pointed the ball at it and hit the button. It opened, discharging a white flash, and her new Vaporeon lay on the table, curled in a circle. It lay still; the only sign of life was the slow rise and fall of its sides. She glanced at Nurse Joy. "I just spray it over him, right?" Joy nodded confirmation, and she turned back to the Vaporeon and squeezed the nozzle, spraying the antidote over his body in long strokes and working her way down his tail. The Vaporeon's sides were heaving; as she sprayed, Claire watched fascinated as the droplets disappeared into his skin. When she got back to his head, she saw that his eyes were open, staring at her. "Hey, there," she whispered. "Don't worry. You're gonna be all right."_

Tyler had been laying miserably on the floor of the ball. He didn't know what was going on; for a long time it was just him and the fading light. Later on everything – walls, sky, ground – had started glowing a soft, warm white. He didn't know what was going on, but it felt good, kind of like sunlight, and it healed the bite marks on his back. It didn't do anything about the poison, though. The light went away, leaving him under a night sky again, and he fell asleep wishing it were all just a dream.

A flash of red woke him up. He glanced around, still barely able to move, and saw that it was the sky. The whole sky was pulsing from night stars to glowing red. _What's going on?_ The pulses continued for several minutes. Tyler waited tensely, with no idea what was happening. Suddenly, everything went white again.

The glow faded and Tyler found himself on a hard surface that was slick with water. He didn't move, just looked around. The place was unmistakably a Catcher den, lit with soft yellow light. A pink-haired Catcher stood there, watching him. A sound surprised him – a Catcher voice, coming from the left. He couldn't see the source without moving his head. The voice was soft, not a shout like he was used to. The female Catcher in front of him turned and nodded to the other voice, and the next thing Tyler heard was a rhythmic _shhhhh_ sound.

Water droplets started to spray onto his body, surprising him. Tyler started absorbing all the water he could touch as a danger reflex, trying to do something to replenish his drained supply. An unfamiliar smell reached his nose, mixing with the scent of water. It worried him, but it didn't smell dangerous, so he relaxed again. Whatever it might be, it was probably the least of his worries. Anyway, he still didn't have the strength to move; his breathing was still shallow, trying to get as much air as he could through weakened lungs. The mist moved down his body and started coming back up, still coming in pulses. He guessed that the unseen Catcher had something to do with it, and as the mist came closer to his head he looked back, trying to see.

Finally a head came into view. Another female Catcher, younger-looking and much closer, with brown hair and eyes. This one had something in her hand; the puffs of mist were coming from it. _What is she doing?_ The Catcher came closer and looked him in the eye, whispering something. Somehow he didn't feel threatened by her.

Then she reached for him. Tyler shrank as much as he could, folding back his fins and ruff and baring his teeth. Her hand went back behind him and touched his neck. Tyler flinched, and she pulled her hand back, murmuring something else. _What do you want with me?_

He started to notice something else: the dull pain from the poison all through him was beginning to fade. _Is it the water?_ Tyler was pretty sure now that wasn't how his healing worked. That meant… it had to be the other smell. _They put something in the water,_ Tyler realized. _It's taking away the poison_.

 _Why?_ _Why are they helping me?_

Tyler's breath was coming easier now. He groaned and rolled over, drawing hushed cries from the two Catchers. The younger one approached, reaching out to touch his flank. Tyler turned and tried to bite at her, but she was out of reach, so he had to lay still and endure the touch. It was soft, not like he'd expected; the Catcher stroked his flank in slow movements, continuing to spray water on him. She murmured softly the whole time. Something fell into place then. _She wanted me; now she has me. She's on my side now. Or I'm on hers._ Tyler wasn't, though. He meant to save his family from the Catchers. _I can't do that if they have me too_.

What would happen to his family now? Who would come for them? _At least I found Carson and Kara, and got them out._ Tyler exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, conscious of the Catcher girl still stroking his side. If his brother and sister had escaped the Catchers, it had been worth it; his journey, though, might be over.

The Catcher girl's hand left his side; a few still moments passed before the smell of food reached his nose. He raised his head to look; the Catcher was holding out a handful of berries. Tyler laid his head down again; he didn't feel like eating right now. The two Catchers had a brief exchange, then the girl pushed the berries against his side. Tyler had a moment of confusion as she pointed the ball at him again. Everything flashed white and he was inside the ball again. _I guess I'm stuck here for now._ Maybe he could break it when he felt stronger. Tyler laid his head down to sleep. At least he felt better now that the Catchers had healed the poison.

Light in the sky woke him. _It must be morning now_. Tyler slowly got up and stretched. He was still weak, but felt a little more like himself after his sleep. As he turned around, he saw the berries from the night before. They'd ended up in the ball with him. Tyler ate, grateful at least for that. It seemed like the Catcher was going to treat him all right.

He had a little time to explore the confines of the ball. It was far bigger than he'd expected, but if he went far enough he found curved walls that formed a spherical shape. He'd crossed his ball twice when the sky went red again. _What's that?_ He remembered the same thing happening the night before.

After just a few flashes, the white light came, depositing him in another part of the den. The Catcher girl was there; she waved a hand and made a few bright-sounding noises. Some of them sounded oddly familiar. She pointed behind him and made some more noises. This time he was sure. _Vaporeon. She said Vaporeon. She's trying to talk to me_.

Tyler turned in the direction she'd indicated. There was a large basin of water there, almost big enough to swim in. He flinched again as she touched him unexpectedly, but… _she brought me water_. Tyler looked back at her and stepped in, submerging himself. The water was warm, not like he was used to, but that didn't matter much. He switched to his gills, enjoying it for a moment. _What if I just dissolve here? Could she take me back?_ Tyler shook the thought away. It didn't matter. The Catcher would just wait, and there was nowhere to run.

 _What if I attack her?_ He brushed that thought off too. He was still too weak to get away, and he saw other balls on her waist. Besides, he realized reluctantly, attacking her felt _wrong_ somehow. Apart from capturing him, she hadn't done anything to hurt him. And even then, she hadn't actually _attacked_ him. She'd healed him, given him food and water… Tyler shook his head. _I don't want to hurt her unless I have to. She's… not like the ones who took my family._ He could tell that instinctively.

He exhaled a few bubbles. Tyler was pretty sure what this was for. _And I do need water_. He drew on his power and started absorbing it, watching as the waterline started to creep down the sides of the basin. To his surprise, the Vaporeon managed to nearly empty it; he was left standing with water lapping around his paws. _I really was out._ A flicker of hope came back. _Maybe now I'll be able to break out of the ball_.

When he turned back, the Catcher gave him a smile. She beckoned with a hand, holding the ball in the other. Tyler lowered his head and let his tail trail on the bottom of the basin. A moment later, he was inside the ball again.

The Vaporeon considered trying to break out then. _Now probably isn't the best time. Even if I get out, I'm still inside a den. I probably have to find my way out of a town too. And…_ Tyler sighed. _I'm not ready for a fight._ He would wait until they were out in the wild.

Nothing happened for a few more hours. Tyler spent the time exploring the confines of his ball, wishing he felt stronger. The walls had images of forest across them; if he wasn't looking hard, Tyler could pretend that they weren't there. He could see the sun, which meant he still knew what time of day it was – morning. Tyler found it took him nearly half a minute to walk from one wall to the other. He had to stop and rest occasionally during his explorations; even pacing around left him out of breath.

Another discovery Tyler made was a hole behind a tree. He went in and found that it formed a small cave that reminded him of his den. He looked around it a bit and then went back outside, making a note of its location. It would be somewhere to sleep, if he was still here tonight.

Without warning, the sky started pulsing red again. Tyler stood still and started looking around. He was pretty sure now that meant the ball was about to open. Sure enough, white light swallowed him a few seconds later, and his surroundings shifted to the park he'd been in only the day before. His water sense, which had been silent the whole morning, came alive; the pond must not be far away. As he turned toward it, he saw the Catcher, along with three Pokémon. He was flanked on the right and left by a Murkrow and a Flaaffy that looked like a Mareep standing up on its hind legs. In front of him, standing tall next to the Catcher, was a Typhlosion. Tyler crouched low and started cautiously backing away, looking up at them with his fins flattened against his head.

"Hey!" the Typhlosion called. "It's all right. We're not going to hurt you."

"You aren't?" Tyler wasn't so sure.

The Typhlosion shook his head. "Not at all. I don't quite know how to put this, but… you're part of our team now."

"What do you mean, part of your team?" Tyler asked, uncertain.

The Flaaffy broke in. "Leo, come on! Introduce yourself first." She turned to Tyler. "By the way, _I'm_ Miranda."

"And my name is Olive," the Murkrow chirped.

Tyler barely heard them. "Wait… did you say your name was _Leo?_ " he asked the Typhlosion.

He – Leo – nodded. "That's me. Why?"

Tyler couldn't help staring. "Do you have a brother?"

Leo's brow furrowed. "I… do. But _why_?"

Tyler sighed. "He's my friend."

"Wait." Leo stared at him. "You _know_ Ryan?"

Tyler nodded. "I used to live out in the forest. Ryan… he helped me when I left my home. He told me about how that old Catcher got you."

The Typhlosion nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah… that was a long time ago. That's how I ended up with Claire. She got me as her first Pokémon, from Professor Oak."

"Who is Claire?" Tyler asked, though he thought he knew.

Leo threw a sheepish glance at the Flaaffy. "Sorry –" he turned to look at the Catcher girl – "This is Claire. She's our Trainer. And by the way, it's Trainer, not Catcher."

"Why does it matter?" Tyler asked.

"Claire takes care of us." It was Miranda who responded. "We're a team. Trainers aren't just about catching Pokémon, or there would be a lot more than three – four – of us. It's about working as a team, getting stronger together. She trains us."

"But why does that matter for me?" Tyler asked again. "Leo… Ryan used to tell me about you. How you were the strong one. How much he misses you." Thinking about the Quilava nearly brought tears to the Vaporeon's eyes. He might never see Ryan again now. _Don't think like that. There has to be a way_. "And you just gave up? Don't you miss him?"

"It's… not like that," Leo said. "Of course I miss him. You don't understand."

"I don't think I _want_ to. Catchers took my family away, and _I'm_ not going to give up on _them_."

Leo gave Tyler a long look. "You're still thinking about breaking out, aren't you? Running away?" Tyler looked down, not wanting to turn the three Pokémon against him. "Listen… that's not the way it works," Leo told him, his voice surprisingly gentle. "You can't break your ball now."

The words sent a shiver through Tyler. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when you first end up in a ball, you can break it with a strong enough attack."

"I broke five," Miranda put in with a smile.

"Right," Leo continued. "After you're caught, though, your ball is set specially for you. Once they do that, it won't break. No matter what you do. And since it's got your mark, Claire can just return you from where she is – the ball doesn't have to hit you. So forget about running away. You're part of our team now. It's not so bad. Really. Claire cares about us." The Typhlosion dropped onto four paws and approached Tyler. "Being a team means we're here to help you too," he added, putting a friendly paw on the Vaporeon's shoulder. Tyler turned away, breathing heavily. _There's no way out. I can't believe it._ Still, it made sense. Everyone knew that Pokémon taken by Catchers didn't come back. _Except Leo says to call them Trainers now_. He curled up on the grass, wanting to shut everything out, wishing it was all a dream.

The Catcher's voice reached his ears. "Claire says she's going to put you back in your ball now. She says you need to rest," the Murkrow translated.

Tyler was interested, despite himself. "How can you tell what she's saying?"

The Murkrow shrugged. "It's not too hard. Make sure you listen when she's talking. You should be able to understand her in a few weeks, at least enough to know what she wants."

Claire approached, a ball in her hand. Leo reared up and turned to her. "Wait." He turned back to Tyler. "We didn't ever ask. What's _your_ name?"

The Vaporeon opened one eye again. "Tyler," he answered without enthusiasm. Leo nodded and stepped aside, and Tyler was pulled back inside the ball. He heaved a sigh. On one side of things, it didn't seem like the Catcher – or Trainer, or whatever – girl was as bad as the ones who'd taken his family. On the other, it didn't sound like there was any way for him to escape.

He still needed to try, to see for himself. Leo might have been wrong; Tyler had to know. The Vaporeon made his way to the wall. He was still tired, but he had enough energy and water now to make a real assault on it. Tyler awakened his energy and opened his mouth, blasting the wall with everything he had.

It didn't even waver. Tyler closed his eyes for a moment, wishing he could deny what he saw, but there was no way around it. Leo had been right; nothing Tyler did would even make a scratch. He was in this ball – _my ball_ – until Claire let him out. Tyler sighed in defeat. _I guess that means she's …_ my _… Trainer then_. It was the first time he had allowed himself to even think of the ball or the _Trainer_ girl as his. He had kept telling himself that there was some way out, but that hope was gone now. The only way he would get out was when she wanted him out, and if he tried to run she would just put him back in. The ball would be his home from now on.

After he soaked his water back up, Tyler retreated to the hole he'd found earlier, wanting to sleep, to run away from everything for a while. As he curled up, he realized that he really hadn't slept well for a few days. As the darkness closed around him, Tyler yawned and curled up with is tail fin over his nose. The only sound in Tyler's ball was his own breathing, and it was easy to fall asleep.

The rush of white woke him again, and Tyler unexpectedly found himself in the middle of a town during the day, still curled in a circle. Surprise jarred his mind into action, and he scrambled to his paws, searching for exits, escapes, with his tail lashing back and forth. There were Catchers everywhere. What could he do? His heart sped up for a few moments, then he started to remember where he was. None of the Catchers were giving him more than a passing glance, and he quieted. _Right. I'm supposed to be here,_ he thought dully. He turned and saw his Catcher – _my Trainer_ – Claire, standing there. She beamed at him, saying "Vaporeon" again with something else he didn't understand, and bent down to show him a handful of berries. She crossed the busy space, seating herself at the edge of a spray of water, and motioned for Tyler to come.

He did, weaving cautiously around the other Catchers, who still only paid him a little attention. Some of them stopped and turned to look at the Vaporeon, but they didn't come close. He was with Claire; clearly, they all understood that. When he reached the girl, she patted the stone next to her and looked at him, speaking in an encouraging tone. Tyler realized at that moment that he might be with her a long time. Like it or not, this was going to be his life, so he took the opportunity to look more closely at his new trainer.

The first thing Tyler noticed was brown hair, so long it seemed to swish around when she moved. He guessed she was slightly built, at least compared to other Catchers – humans – he'd seen, and she looked about his age – her face didn't have the strong lines and edges of maturity yet, but she didn't look like a child either. Most of her body was covered in something that reminded him of the wrapping from Carson's stone, but this was a lavender color, changing to dark brown on her legs. Other… _humans_ had it too, but in all different colors, it seemed. She had something slung at her side, and there was a line of familiar red-and-white balls dotting her waist on the other. For a moment, her brown eyes met his. There was something there, something… strong, but they seemed like friendly eyes too. Tyler wasn't sure what that would mean for him, but it seemed like a good sign at least.

Claire held his gaze for a moment, then spoke and patted the stone again. Tyler climbed up and she spread five berries in front of him, watching him closely. They were all different; Tyler recognized most of them, but there were a few he didn't. He picked out a sweet berry and one of the hot ones. While he was eating, she started stroking him again. Tyler was resigned to it now, so he let her run her hand down his head and back. To his surprise, it was comforting, and he found himself enjoying it a little despite himself. The exception was when she touched his fins. That felt weird on his head, and Tyler pulled away. Claire started stroking him again, but avoided his fins, and he slowly relaxed.

When he'd finished eating, Claire gathered up the other berries and put them in a strange thing she had slung at her side. That intrigued Tyler as much as even the Catchers' lights; he'd never seen anything like it before and nosed at it curiously. There were a lot of different smells inside. Partly it smelled like his new Trainer, but there was also food, some strange smells that reminded him of the one that had helped his poison, and the smells of Catcher things. _Machines_. The word came unbidden to his mind. Carson had mentioned those, hadn't he? He'd said… they were supposed to do things. _I wonder what Claire's are for_.

Claire was watching him with interest. After a few seconds, she said something else in a questioning voice and pulled it open, pulling things out for him to look at. There were a few balls – Tyler leaned around, confirming that the others were around her waist, where he'd seen them – some of the other mysterious machines, clear things full of liquid, pieces of soft stuff in different colors like what she had on, and more. _That's how she carries so much,_ Tyler realized. Something like that would have been useful when he was traveling. It certainly would have made finding food and water less worrisome.

Still, it didn't really matter. Tyler wouldn't be traveling again. A cloud seemed to fall over him, and he lowered his head again. Claire watched him for a moment and hesitated. It was the first time Tyler had seen her look unhappy. Why?

After a moment, she did something completely unexpected: she reached down into the water and splashed him. Tyler jerked back in surprise. He looked up at his Trainer, and she smiled and splashed him again. The water felt good, and he trailed a paw in the fountain himself. Claire nodded at the water and gave him the same encouraging "Go on!" she had before.

 _I – I understood that!_ Tyler stared a little longer, surprised by what had just happened. Then what the Trainer had actually said clicked in his mind, and he glanced at the water, realizing that she was giving him permission to dive in. A little cry of pleasure escaped him, and he slid off the stone into the water. It was shallow, but still large enough to swim a circle around the stone spout in the middle. The spraying water churned the surface into a white foam that reminded Tyler of rapids, but there was no danger here. He circled the fountain several times, calling on his energy to send the water into a whirl and carry him faster.

Finally he released the water and came to a stop. Claire still sat there, watching him from above the water. Wanting to take advantage of the moment, Tyler relaxed and melted into the pool, letting himself drift for a few minutes. He could make out Claire still there, but he couldn't see what the Trainer was doing anymore. For the moment, he would just enjoy himself.

After a few minutes, Claire's form moved, and Tyler sighed mentally. She was probably waiting for him now. He reformed and pulled himself out of the water, feeling refreshed. He still wasn't at full strength, but swimming had felt good. Claire was standing a few feet away. She approached and bent down, running a hand down his back, then straightened up and pulled out his ball. It expanded in her hand, and she pointed it at him. Tyler looked down at the ground as the white light pulled him inside.

 _September 3_

 _It's been a crazy day. After finding that Vaporeon last night, I didn't get much sleep. Nurse Joy woke me up in the middle of the night. It turns out he was in even worse shape than I thought. I've never seen any of the nurses get so angry. I'm just glad it wasn't me that did that to him. I mean, I wouldn't anyway, but… wow. She really takes her job seriously._

 _Speaking of which, he seems a little better now. Nurse Joy said not to start battle training for a few days at least, so I've been in town all day. I introduced him to Typhlosion, Murkrow, and Flaaffy. He still can't understand me, of course, so I thought that would help. I have to admit, I'm not sure what happened. It was almost like he already knew Typhlosion, but that doesn't make any sense. I'm sure I'd remember if I ever ran across an Eevee before. Anyway, hopefully they get along._

 _Vaporeon really likes water. Wow, I feel like an idiot writing that. But still. He seemed really happy when I let him play in the fountain for a few minutes. I saw him go invisible too, so Vaporeon really can do that. Definitely something to keep in mind. Oh, and I did the berry test too like Nurse Joy said. He went right for the spicy and sweet ones. I already get those for Typhlosion and Murkrow, so he's not gonna be hard to feed._

 _Other than that… No battles, no training or anything today. I let the rest of my team play in the park for a while. I think they enjoyed having a day off too. Things will probably pick up once Vaporeon is feeling better. I'm excited – I've never had a Water-type before. Nurse Joy says they ('they' meaning Vaporeon, sorry, not Water-types) have some cool abilities. Well, I already know he can go invisible. And drain bathtubs (that was actually kind of cool too). Anyway, time to get to bed – I really need it tonight. I'm gonna get out of town tomorrow, try to do some real training._


	26. Your New Life

Nothing happened until the next morning. Tyler spent most of the time sleeping. In the evening, Claire let him out again for a few minutes into another part of the den. She looked like she was ready to sleep too. Tyler watched with some interest as the trainer released Leo, Miranda, and the murkrow – what had her name been again? Claire had water for them and spread out a few different kinds of berries. She ate too, pulling silvery wrappings off brown bars with a crinkly noise and biting into them. Tyler wanted to talk, but all of them were busy eating as the sun went down. Then she put him back in his ball. Tyler sighed and closed his eyes again. _I'm definitely getting rest now_. He couldn't deny that he needed it, though; it was still easy to fall asleep again.

In the morning, Tyler woke up with the first hint of light. He paced around for a while, but then settled down to wait, watching the sun crawl into view. _I wonder how it does that?_ The last Tyler had seen, they were inside. Looking around at the rest of the lightening sky, he noticed that there were clouds. Curious, Tyler got up and started walking around, watching the sky from different angles and cocking his head this way and that. He nearly tripped a few times from not watching where he was going, but he noticed that the sun and clouds' shapes got stretched in strange ways when he got close to the walls. The forest patterns on the walls did too. They all looked real, but when he got close they were flat, almost like a reflection – or like the images of pokémon he'd seen on the wall of that den in the forest. As he kept watching, though, he noticed again that the sun and clouds were moving. How the Catchers made the images look real, let alone how they made them move, was a mystery to Tyler. Forests, trees, and sky were just things in Tyler's life. He'd never thought much about the way they looked.

Once the sun was up, Tyler's ball started flashing again, and he turned an expectant circle. A moment later, he was released into the same den as the night before. Leo and the murkrow were already there, and Claire put Tyler's ball back to pull another off her waist. Miranda appeared with a flash a moment later. Claire said something, gesturing for them to wait, and disappeared through an open hole in the wall.

Leo stretched to his full height, opening his mouth in a yawn. "Good morning, everyone."

"Hi, Leo." Tyler turned to the flaaffy, dipping his head respectfully. "Good morning, Miranda." He turned to the murkrow. "And hi – I'm sorry, but I don't remember what you said your name was."

She shrugged it off. "I'm Olive. Don't worry about it – you've still got a lot to learn, and we can't expect you to pick up everything all at once."

Tyler nodded. "Okay. Thanks." Then another question occurred to him. "Where did Claire go?"

"Oh, she went to get food. She should be back in a minute," Leo answered, unconcerned.

"And where are we?"

"This is a PokeCenter – sorry, Pokémon Center," Olive told him. "Most of the trainers call them PokeCenters, though. It's a big red building, has lots of stuff for trainers. Claire usually stays in one while we're in town. They have healing machines here too."

"Healing machines… That's what the light was?" Olive nodded, and Tyler went on. "So the… den I was in at first – where they healed me – I was poisoned before," he added by way of explanation – "That was in here too?"

"That's right," Miranda confirmed. "Except they're not called dens. The Pokémon Center is a building, and this" – she gestured around at the walls – "is a room, inside the building."

Leo nodded, breaking into the conversation. "We had some questions for you too." He looked at the flaaffy and murkrow. "How did you end up getting caught? We were talking about it yesterday, and none of us fought you."

Tyler shook his head. "Some other Catchers – trainers – attacked my brother and sister and I." He stopped for a moment, mentally backtracking. "So, a bunch of… _trainers_ attacked my family – a few months ago. Not just us, either," he recalled, "all the pokémon in the forest. They were just catching everything they could find. I got away, but I don't think the rest of my family did." He shook the memories away. "Anyway, I found my brother and sister a few days ago. They were in a den – a building. The trainers were keeping them in little rooms with other pokémon – they said they were testing them for something. I managed to get them out – well, they helped me too – and we all ran for it, but I got poisoned on the way. Then more trainers came the next day, and we got separated. We were going to meet on the ridge outside the town. The poison was getting really bad by then, but I was almost there. And then… a ball hit me, and the next thing I knew I was inside and I couldn't get out." Tyler finished, looking around uncomfortably.

Miranda nodded. "So that's why we didn't have any battles yesterday."

Olive was looking at him in interest. "What were those trainers like?"

Tyler thought about it. "There were a lot of them, but they all look kind of the same. Some of the ones inside had white on, but mostly they're in black."

The murkrow nodded. "I've heard of them. They're called Rockets, or something like that. I've heard they do a lot of bad things." She cocked her head. "So, I'm not surprised you don't like trainers if that's who was after you." She cocked her head thoughtfully. "Catchers might be a better name for those ones."

"Claire isn't like that, though." Leo looked at the vaporeon. "Really. Give her a chance, okay?"

Tyler sighed. "All right."

"You must have a lot of questions," Miranda offered. "If you want to know anything, you can ask us."

"Well…" Tyler began, "what do trainers _do_? What do we do?"

The flaaffy thought for a moment. "Well, it starts with something called the Pokémon League. Most trainers are trying to get stronger. To train their pokémon to be stronger, but also to learn how to work together with them. Then there's a group of really experienced trainers called the League. Trainers like Claire have to show they can beat each of them – and then the last four in a row – to be recognized as Pokémon Masters. It's supposed to be really hard, but… that's what she wants to do.

"But why?"

"To protect people." It was Leo who answered. "Like Olive said – like you already know – there are people who just want to use us. To hurt people, or to make money, or to take what they want from others. And… sometimes there are pokémon who do that too. Masters stand up for people and pokémon who can't stand up for themselves. And that means we do, too. You asked why I stay with Claire. Well, it's true that it would be hard to leave, but there's more to it than that." Leo gave Tyler a hard look. "It hasn't all been about fighting and getting stronger. Sometimes we just help people. We go all over the region. I mean, what was I going to do with my life back in the grassland? We eat, we sleep, we sometimes have to fight, but that's all. It's always about us. Going with Claire, we can do so much more. We can make a difference in the world."

Tyler found himself nodding. He could understand some of that – sometimes there just wasn't anything to do, but Tyler always felt guilty about it, like he should find something else to do to help find his family. He still didn't want to be here, but what the typhlosion said made sense. He sighed. "So then what do we do?"

"Well…" Leo wrinkled his nose. "It is battles, mostly," he admitted. "When we're out training, we'll get sent out a lot. Sometimes it's against wild pokémon, sometimes it's against other trainers."

Tyler thought about his experiences fighting trainers. They always seemed to be calling orders to their pokémon. "Do we have to wait for her to tell us what to do?"

"You'll usually want to," the typhlosion replied. "She knows a lot more about things than you do. Once she knows how you fight and what you're good at, she can show you how to do things you've never even dreamed of."

"Like what?" Tyler asked.

Leo looked around at the other two. "I can't really show you. Not inside." Miranda looked like she was stifling a laugh.

Olive took pity on him. "Like this," she said, spreading her wings. The room went dark. Even the sunlight coming through the windows was barely visible.

Claire's voice sounded outside their room, sounding distressed. "Oops, sorry," Olive said. Light came back to the room to show the murkrow looking embarrassed. Claire walked in and looked at her, then around at the other three. She said something else. Tyler listened carefully, but he still couldn't understand any of it.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Breakfast!" Leo exclaimed. In response to Tyler's uncomprehending look, he added, "You know, what we eat in the morning. Come on!" The four pokémon followed the girl through the corridor into another room. This one was larger, and it had a basin of water like the ones in the cells where Carson and Kara had been kept. Tyler glanced around to make sure it was all right, then padded over to drink. A smell reached his nose – it smelled like food, but not quite like berries normally did. Tyler found his mouth watering. Whatever it was, it smelled good.

Claire went over to the other side of the room and came back with the food. Tyler watched and smelled in interest as she started laying round… _things_ on the ground. He looked over at Leo. "What are these?"

"Muffins!" the typhlosion responded. "They're my _favorite_."

"What _isn't_ your favorite?" Miranda asked, throwing a glance at him.

Leo shrugged, not seeming to take offense. "Well, okay, _your_ favorite then." The flaaffy opened her mouth, then closed it again. Claire was talking now, and Tyler tuned them out, trying to listen. He still wasn't sure what the human girl was saying apart from an occasional word, but he thought it might be something about what they would do that day. At least, that was the impression he got.

Olive sidled over to him. "She says we'll be out training for the next few days, until we get to the next city. And… she said she's not going to have you in any of the battles today, but she'll let you out for some of them so you can see what it's like."

"Oh." Tyler spent a minute trying to imagine how that would be. He was interrupted when Claire approached and slid one of the muffins in front of him. Tyler had forgotten about the food. He gave it another sniff – it still smelled delicious – and then lowered his head to take a bite out of it. It came apart more easily than he'd expected; there was a sort of soft crust, and the inside… the only way the vaporeon could describe it was 'fluffy.' It wasn't like anything else he'd eaten. It was sweet and had a flavor sort of like berries he recognized, but at the same time there was something he didn't recognize. It was one of the best things he'd ever had, though.

He finished the muffin and licked up the bits, looking around. After a moment, Claire pushed another one in front of him, speaking again in an encouraging voice. To his surprise, this one tasted like one of the spicy berries. He wasn't sure he liked it quite as much, but it was still good and he finished the whole thing, feeling a lot more full. _I think maybe I could get used to this part_.

After they ate, Claire pulled out their balls again. Tyler sighed. He'd actually enjoyed the morning. Miranda looked over at him. "You might as well get comfortable. It'll take a while until we get where we're going."

"It's not that bad," Olive chimed in, as Leo disappeared in a flash. "We actually get to do a lot more when we're out of town. You'll see." The last part was hurried, as Claire turned to Tyler next. He looked up at her and saw an encouraging smile before his ball pulled him inside again.

As Miranda had predicted, Tyler spent the next few hours undisturbed. He watched with some interest as the sun rose higher and clouds appeared occasionally. He prowled around a little and found another, deeper hole he hadn't seen before, but he didn't want to stay there and risk getting surprised like the day before.

 _I should practice or something_. Tyler hadn't really done anything for the last few days, but he was feeling mostly better now. The Catchers' mixture had worked really well on the poison, and after two days the vaporeon felt more like himself. He took a deep breath. Where to begin? _I need a target. Something to hit_. After looking around for a few moments, he decided to use one of the trees. It would be big enough, and he could use it to hit with his tail too. And if he did somehow break it… well, he wouldn't feel too bad. Claire had been nice to him, but that didn't mean he wanted to stay.

Tyler started by going through his normal moves, practicing dodges and rolls – mostly so he could see how he felt. Everything seemed normal now; he didn't get out of breath or anything. That was good. He was still getting used to how the weight of his tail affected his balance when he wasn't just running, though, so he worked on that for a while.

After that, he practiced spinning around and using his tail, slapping it against one of the trees. To his mild disappointment, it didn't do anything to the ball, but after a while it left his tail smarting from the repeated strikes, so he stopped. His tail was sore now, and when he looked at it there were bruises and a few scrapes, though not as many as if he'd done it to a real tree. He went searching around and finally found a dip he could fill with water.

 _How should I do this?_ He circled around the small pool he'd made and finally settled for laying down next to it, curling his tail in the water. His scrapes and bruises dissolved, and Tyler sighed a little in relief as the pain went away. He watched with interest as the scrapes finished healing and those spots on his tail went solid again. The bruises took a little longer, but after a few minutes they slowly came back together too. The water had gone down a little, but not as much as he'd thought. _I guess it's because I wasn't hurt too bad_. The vaporeon reabsorbed the rest of the water and climbed back to his paws.

He put off doing anything else for a while, wanting to rest. Before he got around to practicing again, the sky started flashing red. He climbed to his paws again, looking around in interest. He was about to be sent out; where were they now? What was going on? The ball continued to flash; Tyler started shifting back and forth, wondering what was going to happen. Finally the white flash came he'd been hoping for, and the world cleared to reveal a rocky path. He'd appeared behind Claire; Miranda was there too, but standing in front of the girl. Opposite them was a male trainer in blue, accompanied by a black horned dog pokémon. _Am I supposed to help fight?_ As he looked at Claire, she motioned him back. Just watching, then. Tyler sat and curled his tail fin around his paws as the two pokémon squared off. Tyler wondered if he might be able to just sneak away during the fight, but then Claire backed away until she was right next to him.

For a moment everything was still as the trainers exchanged a few words. Tyler caught what sounded like "Are you ready?" Then Claire called out something else and Miranda nodded, her wool fluffing up with static. Tyler cringed in sympathy for Miranda's opponent, but the enemy trainer called out his own order – Tyler picked out the name, Houndoom – and the black dog opened its mouth and breathed a stream of fire at her. It caught her in the side as she tried to dodge, leaving a smoldering patch down her side. That couldn't be good. Miranda gritted her teeth but didn't cry out; Claire was frantically calling out a few more orders. Tyler watched as the flaaffy dropped to the ground and rolled, putting out the embers. _At least she knew what to do,_ he thought sympathetically.

He watched as she stood back up on her hind legs. The houndoom was charging now and she dropped into a crouch, bracing for the hit. As they collided, she locked her short arms against its shoulders as their heads met. For a moment the two struggled, head to head, but the houndoom had an advantage since it was on four legs, and started pushing her back. It exhaled more flame but didn't really hit Miranda, since they were both locked head-down. Tyler noticed that the ball on the flaaffy's tail was glowing brighter and brighter. _What's she doing?_ Both trainers were shouting encouragement now, but Miranda was still losing ground. Tyler looked up at Claire and saw the tension in her face as the trainer stared intently at the two. Finally she shouted, _"Now!"_ and Miranda pivoted to swing the glowing end of her tail into her opponent. There was an electric _crack_ and the houndoom was hurled to the ground. Tyler winced again, remembering his own experience fighting a mareep.

The houndoom rolled away and got back up, breathing a wash of flame across the ground at another order from its trainer. Miranda went hopping back as the flames reached her hooves, and the two squared off again. Both Claire and the male trainer seemed reluctant to have the pokémon get in close again, so the next thirty seconds were punctuated by shouts from both trainers as jets of fire and sparks arced between the two. Miranda narrowly won, and the houndoom slumped back, defeated. The flaaffy was breathing hard too; she bent over for a moment, panting. The glow of her tail had faded to a pinpoint of light deep inside.

Tyler watched with interest as the two trainers stepped forward and exchanged a few words. Claire's opponent seemed disappointed, and the houndoom disappeared back into its ball. Claire herself turned and congratulated Miranda, drawing a tired smile from the flaaffy. The trainer rummaged in her bag and pulled out a container a little like the one she'd sprayed him down with. She started spraying it over Miranda, drawing her wool apart with a hand to concentrate on the flaaffy's injuries, which seemed to be improving a little already. Tyler caught a new scent from it, though he thought he might have smelled traces of it back at the – _what did they call it? The PokeCenter_. Catchers seemed to have a lot of different things for healing pokémon. As Claire finished and returned Miranda to her ball, he wondered why the other trainer hadn't taken care of his houndoom.

Back inside his own ball, Tyler thought about the battle he'd seen. In a way, it didn't seem too different from the training he'd done as an eevee. They did different matches, mostly just trying to get more experienced with facing certain opponents or kinds of attacks. The fight hadn't seemed serious – it really had been like a training match. _I guess that's all right, then_. He still wasn't sure about having to take orders from the trainer girl, though.

Tyler was sent out several more times that day to see more battles. They seemed similar to the first, just training fights. Claire alternated between her pokémon for different matches. Sometimes Tyler understood why – he knew from experience that Miranda would be a better match for a water pokémon than Leo would – but other times he didn't know what the trainer was thinking. He did notice that Claire's team usually seemed to win, although Olive lost a fight in the early afternoon and Miranda did later on against another trainer who also had a team of three pokémon. Tyler realized that Claire's team was actually four – if he counted himself, though the vaporeon wasn't sure if he did.

Tyler's ball lit up red again in the late afternoon. Used to it by now, Tyler started wondering what kind of fight this one would be. To his surprise, the ball opened almost immediately, depositing him on the side of a ridge. He looked around to see that it was sparsely forested with pine trees, and pine needles made a soft layer on the ground. He was the last one out, it seemed; Leo, Miranda, and Olive were already there looking at him. There was no enemy trainer to be seen. "What are we doing?" he asked, a little confused.

"We're done for the day," Olive answered. Tyler noticed that the murkrow seemed to have recovered from her fight.

"This is why we like it out here better," Leo added. "There are a bunch of rules trainers have to follow. One of them is that they're only allowed to have one pokémon out at a time normally. Out here with no one around, though, we can all stay out together." He looked over at Claire. "This is the best part of the day."

"Where are we?" That was Tyler's next question.

Leo shrugged. "Not sure. My guess is the other side of the valley from where we were a few days ago."

Olive flapped to the top of one of the trees. "I think you're right," she called down. "I can see the city from here."

Claire got their attention. She started with her usual "All right." Tyler didn't understand much else, but she said something about "here," which he took to mean that they probably weren't going anywhere else that day. _So then, what are we doing?_

That question was answered pretty quickly too. Leo and Miranda headed off into the trees, while Claire called Tyler over and produced a flat-bladed metal thing from her bag. She started making a circle in the pine needles and dirt with it. "What's she doing?" Tyler called up to Olive.

"We're going to make a fire there," the murkrow replied. Before Tyler could ask her to explain, she went on. "Claire wants you to soak the edge of the circle so it doesn't spread. You can do that, right?"

Tyler took a moment to process what she'd told him. "If you mean get it wet, I can do that. But why? Why are we trying to start a fire?"

"To keep warm tonight. You'll see – it's nice. Oh, and to cook the food. Leo could do that himself, but this is easier."

Every answer seemed to lead to more questions. Tyler decided to be quiet for a while and just see for himself. Following Claire's instructions with some help from Olive, Tyler followed the circle Claire had made, spraying a stream of water into the ground as he went. His paws got muddy in the process, but the vaporeon absorbed the water again, turning the mud into dust that brushed off when he wiped his paws on the ground. Claire was pulling out more things from her bag. Some of it looked like food, but most of it was alien to him. There was another shiny pouch, which the girl opened with a crinkling noise before upending it into one of the round metal things. Tyler looked at the tan powder she had poured out, wondering what she was going to do with it.

As he watched, she pulled out a container of water and started mixing it into the powder, resulting in a darker, squishy-looking paste. Tyler pricked up his headfins as he caught the sound of paws marching through the trees. Miranda and Leo appeared a few moments later, still some distance away and laden with sticks and branches. Claire smiled and called out to them before turning back to her mixture.

They arrived half a minute later, dumping their loads of sticks on the ground. Claire started stacking some of them in the middle of the circle, and then Leo lit them with a stream of flame. This was something new to Tyler; Father had used fire a lot – as had Ryan – but he'd never really seen anything keep burning on its own. All he knew about it was that both Father and the quilava had been concerned about setting anything ablaze for worry that it would spread. This fire didn't seem to be doing that. Maybe it had something to do with the circle of water he'd made around it.

The fire burned brightly, then uncertainly, shifting and catching in different ways, but after a few minutes it seemed to settle into a constant flame in the middle. Claire picked up her metal circle of paste and put it on the fire. Tyler couldn't resist asking another question at this point. "What's that for?"

"That," replied Miranda, "is what we're going to eat."

"Hmm." It didn't look very appetizing. "Why that? And why is it in the fire?"

"It's called cooking. It's something humans do. That in the pan is dough. If it gets heated up enough then it turns into bread, like we had this morning." Tyler thought about it. That was interesting. "Don't get too used to it," Miranda added. "We only have this when there's a fire, and even then not all the time. Usually we just have normal trail food, berries and stuff."

Tyler watched the pan for a while. Not much seemed to happen, but if he looked away for a few minutes and then back again he could definitely tell a difference. Finally Claire pronounced it done, and Leo reached into the flames to remove the pan. The bread looked and smelled much more appealing now. Claire picked up some berries and distributed them to the four pokémon. By the time they had finished eating those, Claire was removing the bread and breaking it into pieces, which she distributed again. He noticed Olive got the smallest piece and Leo the largest. Claire took a fairly large piece too. The vaporeon bent down to take a bite out of the bread. It didn't have the same sweetness or berry taste as that morning, but he still liked it. He wasn't quite sure about the warmth, though; he'd never eaten anything hot. It felt pleasant in his stomach, so he decided he was all right with that too.

After eating, they all lay around for a while. Tyler enjoyed hearing the soft sounds of evening again. Claire was on the ground, leaning against a tree with a flat dark-red rectangle. It cast a glow on her face, and Tyler watched as her fingers flickered through a rapid series of taps on the lit surface, wondering what she was doing. After a few minutes, though, he lost interest. Leo, Olive, and Miranda were discussing the battles they'd had that day. Tyler listened to that for a few minutes too, but he'd been there to see most of them, so he stopped paying close attention. He was surprised when Claire's voice rang out, calling him. "Vaporeon! Come over here!"

Tyler looked at the other three pokémon uncertainly before getting up to see what the trainer wanted. As he padded over, he got a better look at her rectangle. He remembered seeing something like it in a Catcher town. When he got close, he could tell that the lit part had an image on it. Claire tapped on it and the image changed. Tyler blinked in surprise. It had to be a machine. What was it for?

It went black for a moment, then showed the familiar image of a ball. Claire pulled a ball off her belt and expanded it. Tyler watched with growing confusion as she pulled out a thin black cord. She inserted one end into the machine, where it stuck. Then she pulled the ball open. It split in half – red on one side, white on the other – with the sides connected in the back. He looked inside. It was so small.

Claire wasn't done yet. She grabbed the other end of the black cord and inserted it similarly into part of the ball before shoving the ball under her legs and turning her attention back to the machine she carried. Tyler followed her gaze and was surprised to see an image of a vaporeon appear next to the picture of the ball.

"All right." Claire launched into speech again. Tyler pulled his attention away from her machine and tried to concentrate on the words, but all he was able to get out of it was that she was doing something with his ball. She tapped some more and the images changed again. Now they were looking at a familiar forest – familiar to Tyler at least. It was the one inside his ball. _What's going on?_

As he watched, Claire slid the forest off to one side. A rocky view that reminded him of the ridge replaced it. She swiped across again and again, and the landscape changed each time – mountain peak, cave, snow, town – and then moved on to ones he didn't recognize – a place with thick green plants everywhere, a meadow full of flowers, light tan dirt bordering an expanse of water…

Claire stopped there. She said something else, questioning him about "this one?" After Tyler didn't respond for a moment, she tapped her machine a few times, then pulled the ball back out and disconnected it from the cord before snapping it shut. She pointed it at Tyler, and he watched as her finger found the circle on the front before white light pulled him in.

Tyler blinked at the sudden brightness. The ball still showed evening, but it wasn't as dark. He was standing by the water he'd just seen in her machine. A quick look around showed him that everything had changed, matching the scene she'd just shown him. After he'd gotten over his surprise, Tyler stepped forward and put a paw in the water. It felt wrong; there were no ripples, and his water sense remained silent. He submerged completely, finding that it held him up like water did. He could even swim, but his gills didn't work. It was still air down there.

He tried it out anyway, but swimming wasn't the same when he couldn't feel the water or touch the currents. His ball was flashing again, and a soon after he got out of the water – or whatever it was – he was sent out again, appearing next to Claire where he had been before. She looked at him and asked if he liked it. He thought for a moment and shook his head, glancing at the ground. She looked disappointed, but nodded, pulling the ball open to put the cord back in. A few moments later, she was flicking through scenes again, pausing on each one to look over at him. He realized she was waiting for a reaction. _She wants me to pick one?_ Tyler was touched by the gesture. Claire really did seem to care about him.

Tyler started watching the images more intently now. One of them would be his home from now on. After a minute of flicking through landscapes, the image changed back to the forest and started the same cycle over. He pricked his fins up when it got to the rocky slope again. Claire watched him for a moment. Trying to communicate to her that this was the one he wanted, Tyler reached out to touch her machine. Claire didn't try to stop him, but something popped up when he touched it, and he quickly withdrew his paw. "This one? You want this one?"

"Yes." Tyler replied automatically before remembering Claire wouldn't understand. He nodded agreement instead and Claire went back to work on her machine, flicking away the shape that had appeared and tapping a few more times before nodding to herself and pulling the cord out of the ball again. She closed it while Tyler waited, tail curled around his paws. He was actually anticipating it a little this time, wanting to see the ball now that he'd gotten to pick something for it.

When the light died away, Tyler looked around, taking in the slope. It was getting harder to see as the sun set, but he could make out patches of grass and lines of stones of different sizes. There seemed to be several paths leading up and down, and to his delight, Tyler almost immediately found a cave that reminded him of Zahna's den. He wouldn't mind staying in a place like this. He would have explored further, but his ball opened again after a minute, leaving him outside. She asked again if he liked it, a hopeful smile visible on her face. Tyler nodded confidently this time. Instead of returning him to the ball like he'd half expected, Claire returned it to its smaller size and stowed it away before reaching out to pat him on the shoulder. She said something else in a happy voice before turning back to her machine, leaving Tyler to go back to the other pokémon.

"So, how was it?" Miranda asked.

"It was good," the vaporeon responded. "She let me pick a different inside for my ball. I didn't know they did that."

"What did you get?" This question came from Olive.

"I picked a sort of rocky one. There's a ridge that looks like it on the other side of the valley." He thought about it for a moment. "I… know some pokémon there."

"So do you like it?"

Tyler nodded. The sun had gone down now, leaving only the fire to cast flickering light over everything. Miranda's glowing tail was visible too. "I think so."

Leo yawned, releasing a puff of flame. "Sorry," he said, closing his mouth again. "I think I'm going to sleep now."

Miranda nodded. "That'll probably be all for tonight." Leo and Olive moved closer to the fire's warmth, and after a moment Tyler followed. It did feel good to lay next to it. Claire was pulling something long out of her bag and spreading it on the ground now. Tyler watched as she turned back to her machine. A few more taps and it went dark, and the girl lay down and wrapped herself in whatever she'd taken out.

The fire was starting to get a little _too_ warm, so Tyler got up and moved a few steps away before laying down again, facing away from the firelight. The warmth on his back was soothing, and before long he fell asleep with everyone else. It wasn't until the next morning that he realized Claire had given him the perfect opportunity to just leave and disappear into the night. He hadn't even thought about it.

 _September 4_

 _Today was a good day. It's kind of fun to hang out in town every once in a while, but there wasn't much to do there, so it was good to get out and train again. They're definitely getting better. Murkrow's Night Shade is really paying off, even if she does show off and use it inside sometimes (like this morning, when I walked back into my room and everything was black)._

 _Anyway, we got out of town pretty early and there were plenty of other trainers around. Not a lot of wild pokémon around here apart from pidgey and stuff – I'm not sure why. This whole valley seems pretty quiet, especially compared to the last few routes we've been on. Like I said though, plenty of trainers, so the team got some good battles in. I had Vaporeon out for most of them, just to watch. He seems all right, but I promised Nurse Joy I'd let him rest before starting battle training. I'll start him with the basics tomorrow, before we go into the caves. He's been watching everything I do ever since I let the team out to set up camp. He seems really curious about everything, but I guess that's normal for a wild pokémon the first few days. I seem to remember Flaaffy being a lot more laid-back about it, though._

 _All right, I just took a break from writing this, but I'm back now. I just remembered I still hadn't set up Vaporeon's ball. It was kind of weird; I set it to a beach since, you know, water and stuff, but he didn't like it. He ended up going for a mountainside of all things._


	27. Depths

Tyler looked around at the bustle of activity as they got ready to go. They'd already eaten; Leo and Claire were gathering things up. Tyler had already put the last embers of their fire out, so he sat, uncertain what else to do. Once everything was stowed away, Claire pulled out their balls. She returned Olive and Miranda, but left Leo and Tyler out together.

"What's going on?" Tyler asked the typhlosion.

"I don't know yet," Leo responded. "Wait and see."

Claire was talking to him now. When she'd finished, Leo asked, "Did you get that?"

"A little," Tyler answered. Claire had used a lot of words he hadn't heard before. "Something about moves? A battle?" He hoped he wasn't supposed to try to fight Leo.

The typhlosion shook his head. "Not exactly. You're not quite ready for a battle yet. Claire just wants to see what you can do. Just go through your moves one at a time, and pay careful attention to what she calls them, because that's how she'll call them out in a real battle."

Tyler hesitated. "All right." _What do they mean by moves?_ The first things that came to his mind were dodges, tackles, and tail swipes. "What should I start with?" he asked uncertainly.

"Probably your powers. Anything you know how to do."

Tyler nodded. He would start simple, then. Aware of Claire's eyes on him, the vaporeon turned and picked out a rock to use as a target. He opened his mouth and shot a burst of water at it.

"Water Gun!" Claire's voice rang out. "That's Water Gun." Tyler turned the sounds over in his mind, trying to make sure he'd remember. The human word "water" he was familiar with by now, though he didn't know the other one. _Water gun. That's what she calls it_.

Next was his ability to control water. He reached out with his water senses and realized the burst he'd shot – _water gun_ – had already soaked into the ground. He'd need more. Tyler started releasing water through his skin. He focused, gathering it…

Claire's voice distracted him. "Aqua Ring!" she called. Tyler looked over in surprise. Her face had lit up in a smile; when he met her eyes she repeated herself. _But I wasn't done yet!_ Tyler protested silently. Did this really count as a move all by itself? What would he use it for? Finally the vaporeon gave a mental shrug. If this was an 'aqua ring,' then it was an aqua ring. He'd probably find out why later.

 _I'm still not done, though_. Tyler took a moment to recall before continuing what he'd been doing, channeling the water forward so it slid down his forelegs. He kept it from sinking into the ground while he thought about what to do next. Tyler's first idea had been to move it around, but it somehow didn't seem that useful. _Maybe something harder?_ Tyler lashed his tail back and forth, getting ready. Finally he spun left, whipping his tail around but following the movement with his power. He knew he didn't need to move to use his energy like this, but it felt more natural. His improvised move worked, sort of; the water left the ground and followed the movement of his body in a sort of watery slash.

Claire frowned, murmuring uncertainly to herself. There was a pause, then "Aqua Tail, I guess?" A moment later, she nodded. "Aqua Tail." Then she said something else about work.

Tyler looked worriedly over at the typhlosion. "Is something wrong?"

Leo shook his head. "Not really. She just said you'll need to work on that one."

"Oh." Tyler stood there downcast for a moment.

"Hey – don't worry," Leo reassured him. "You'll have to work on most of those. We all do. That's what training's about. Even if you're really bad at something – and I'm not saying you are – Claire's not going to get mad or anything. She'll help you get better at it."

"All right." Tyler nodded a few times, willing himself not to worry about it. Part of him wondered why he cared so much about what his trainer thought, but he did. Tyler cast about for something else to do before he remembered. He turned to Leo. "Okay, there's one more thing." The typhlosion nodded and Tyler let out a breath, willing himself to relax into water where he stood. It was easier than the last time since he wasn't exhausted and poisoned, but it still took a while. He looked over at Claire and saw her actually clap her hands together, though he couldn't make out much else. She said something indistinct and Tyler pulled himself together again. "What did she say?" he asked, turning to Leo again. "I can't hear very well like that."

"She said Acid Armor… but I can't say the human version very well." The typhlosion nodded in Claire's direction.

Tyler followed his gaze, looking at the trainer and tilting his head questioningly. She got the hint and repeated what she'd said. "Acid Armor. That one's called Acid Armor." Tyler nodded, memorizing the sounds.

"You'll have to work on that one too," Leo offered. "It has to be faster to work in a battle."

"I've never used it in a fight before," Tyler said thoughtfully. "Just to get through things."

"It'd be pretty useful," Leo said. "Especially if you could turn into water when you're getting hit." Tyler realized he was right. That _would_ help. "That's something to practice when you're in your ball. Just don't do it if you know we're coming up on a big battle, like a gym or something – you don't want to wear yourself out before you start. Mornings are usually pretty safe, though." He stopped and met Tyler's eyes. "Sorry. Is there anything else?"

Tyler thought for a moment. "Not really." He sat down and looked at Claire to show he was done.

She gave him another smile and said some more things, coming over to rub his neck for a moment. Her hand felt nice. "All right. Are you ready?" There was a little more, but Tyler didn't understand it.

"Ready for what?" he asked Leo.

"Practice," the typhlosion replied. "Nothing big, just so you can get to know the names a little."

Claire straightened up. Pointed at a tree. "That one, okay?" She stepped back. "Vaporeon, Water Gun!"

Tyler sighed a little. This would be his first time actually taking an order from a trainer. He raised his head, took aim, and let loose a stream of water.

"All right. Good job, Vaporeon!" She gave him a moment before calling, "Aqua Ring!" Tyler took a moment to remember which one that was. _That's right._ He drew on his energy again and covered himself with a layer of water, though he still didn't understand what Claire thought it would do. He was getting ready to start the third move, 'aqua tail,' but Claire had other ideas. She murmured something, then called, "Acid Armor!" followed by something else under her breath.

Tyler didn't know what she was saying, but she had called out his liquefying move. Tyler relaxed and started the process, trying to go as quickly as he could. Once he was done, he waited a few moments, then reformed when he realized Claire was talking again. She watched him for a moment, obviously waiting, then repeated herself. "Aqua Tail?"

Tyler nodded to show he'd understood. Instead of releasing water through his skin this time, he shot out another stream of water into the ground and took hold of it with his power, spinning on his paws to sweep it up and around himself as before. Claire gave him a satisfied nod. "Good!"

They ran through the commands once more before Claire was satisfied. Finally she praised him again and returned Tyler and Leo to their balls. He guessed that meant they were going somewhere. Tyler remembered Leo's advice that he should practice his moves, but it was his first time staying in his ball since it had been changed to a rocky slope. He wanted to explore.

The ball had deposited him on a path in the middle. Tyler started by climbing the slope until he reached the top, where the ball's wall curved inward toward the ceiling. The path wound through switchbacks around rocks of different sizes and branched off in two places. Tyler passed them by for now, continuing upward. He actually enjoyed the familiar gritty feeling of the dirt path on his paws. Finally he got to the edge of his ball. The climb had taken him longer than walking the distance in the forest it had been before. The angle was a lot sharper here; Tyler could almost touch the wall by stretching upwards with his tail. He also noticed that there was no mountain scenery on the wall; it just cut off into sky.

Tyler considered going down next but decided to leave it for another time. He would explore the highest path first. It led a short way to a sort of shallow scrape encircled by more rocks. Tyler lay down in it experimentally and decided he liked it. _Maybe I'll stay here tonight_. He continued down the other paths and found more caves. Two of them were connected with a tunnel through the mountainside that went from high to low. It turned out that there wasn't much at the bottom except a grassy patch, but that was nice too. Overall, Tyler felt satisfied with his new home.

That made him think again. What had changed? Just a few days ago, the idea of being in a ball and working for a Catcher had been unthinkable. _Maybe I've just gotten used to the idea that I can't leave. I might as well make the best of things_. It could be that he wasn't alone anymore. Tyler already felt a bond with Leo and Olive, though Miranda was a little more distant. And then there was Claire herself. Nothing Tyler had learned from conversations and from his encounters with Catchers had prepared him for meeting her. Tyler was hesitant to admit it, but now he understood a little of why Aries had been excited to go off with a trainer. _Does that mean Leo's right?_

The typhlosion had spoken about life being more with a trainer, about having a purpose beyond surviving from day to day. _But I already had one. That's the problem. But… at least I got Carson and Kara away from the Catchers. They'll keep looking for everyone else. I hope. I… well… I can't really leave_. That was what it all came back to. _I'll just have to make the best of it_.

And being with a trainer… it wasn't all bad, he admitted. From what Leo, Miranda, and Olive had told him, he was going to learn a lot about his powers. He was probably going to get a lot stronger, too. Between all the battles they seemed to be in and Catcher remedies, he could get a lot of fighting experience. He was still wondering what it would be like with Claire calling out orders.

Tyler remained lost in thought until his ball started flashing again. It was about noon now. _I guess I'll just make the best of things_. The vaporeon straightened up, preparing for whatever lay ahead. His ball opened, depositing him next to a rock face. The path ran along it, and there was a square Catcher thing made out of wood. A trickle of water ran down the rocks, making a small pool. The rest of Claire's team was already out, looking at her expectantly.

"This is it." Claire pointed to a dark opening. Tyler listened, picking out everything he could. He still didn't understand a lot, but it was getting easier. He was starting to get used to the sounds of human language.

Olive helped him fill in the rest. "Were going into the caves. Claire says they're really big, so it'll probably take the rest of the day to get through."

"I've been in caves before," Leo said. "Cave pokémon don't hide much and a lot of them are territorial, so we'll probably see plenty of action. Expect to be sent out a lot. Especially Miranda and Tyler."

"Wait, why me?" Tyler asked.

"You're a water pokémon, so that gives you an advantage over the rock pokémon that live in caves. Same with Miranda and zubat. Are you ready?"

"I don't know," Tyler said.

"Cave pokémon aren't usually too strong," Miranda said. "You should be fine. Look at it as a chance to practice before we run into trainers again."

"Okay." The vaporeon nodded. Claire pulled more food out of her bag and passed it to the four pokémon. Before eating, Tyler went over to the pool of water and replenished his supply, lapping at the water while also absorbing it through his forepaws. The water level in the pool was much lower when he finished. He went back and joined the others, and a minute later Leo and Miranda got up to drink.

From behind him, Leo called, "Wow. Did you drink it _all_?"

Tyler grimaced. "Sorry," he called back.

"Relax, I was joking. We'll be fine as long as Miranda doesn't electrocute me while I'm drinking." The typhlosion seemed to be in a good mood.

Miranda sighed. "You know I won't do that." Tyler could almost hear her roll her eyes. He decided to ignore them, turning his attention to their trainer. Claire's normal excited demeanor was gone, and she was looking intently into the darkness. Olive flapped over and landed on her shoulder, touching heads with Claire, who reached up to stroke the murkrow's feathers.

Once they were all finished, Claire returned Leo and Olive to their balls. Instead of doing the same for Miranda and Tyler, she headed for the cave mouth, calling them after her. Miranda followed immediately; Tyler hesitated for a moment before bounding after them to catch up. He turned to the flaaffy. "Is this normal, not going in our balls?"

Miranda didn't respond for a moment. "Well, the rules allow keeping one of us out during training."

Tyler nodded. "All right. But then… why both of us?"

"Well, like Leo said, lots of flying and rock pokémon. Electric moves work well on the fliers, and water will work better on the rock pokémon than anything I can do. And he says we'll probably see a lot of them. Maybe she doesn't want to be sending us out and bringing us back all the time."

That brought up another question. "What will we do when cave pokémon show up, then?"

"My guess is that Claire will call one of us to fight. Probably not both – unless a bunch attack at once. Don't get involved unless she says." They passed through the opening into the cave, and it started getting darker. Claire murmured something to the flaaffy. Miranda brightened her tail ball, lighting up the area. Tyler had to look away from it. "Another reason I'm here," Miranda added. "After I joined the team, actually, I learned that Ampharos are sometimes used for light to help people find their way home. They'll go up on towers, and you can see their light for miles, even in storms."

Claire shushed them and started moving forward again. Her silence worried Tyler. He opened his mouth to ask Miranda about it, but then thought better of it and started looking around the cave. Miranda's tail cast a yellow glow across the walls, revealing strange pillars of rock like limbless trees and smooth curves that looked almost like paths in some places.

A minute later, they had their first encounter with cave pokémon. A zubat came flapping at them from one of the stone trees. Claire called Miranda, who was already moving to place herself in front of the girl. She hit the zubat with a spark and it dropped to the ground, flapping drunkenly there. Another came seconds later, and Miranda stopped it too with another jolt of electricity. After a few moments of watching and waiting to make sure nothing else was coming, Miranda turned back to Tyler and Claire. "See? Not too hard."

"What about them?" Tyler indicated the two weakly flapping zubat on the ground.

"They'll be fine in a while. We're not trying to hurt them badly, just keep them off of us. You don't want to get bitten by one if you can avoid it." _Actually_ , Tyler thought, _I think I was. It was definitely some kind of bat pokémon back there when the Catchers were after us_. Tyler nodded; he had no desire to be poisoned again.

The next encounter was a zubat too; Miranda dispatched it with a quick shock like the others. A few minutes later, there was a sudden creak of stone. Claire and Miranda dropped to the ground as a pile of rocks unrolled to reveal a face and arms and started hurling stones. "Vaporeon!" Claire called. "Use Water Gun!" Tyler's mind whirled for a moment, wondering what to do. _Right. Water gun. Regular water attack_. He ran around where Claire was crouching, taking a rock in the side in the process. Before his opponent could throw another one, Tyler opened his mouth and blasted it. His attack sent it rolling back, and just like that the fight was over. The vaporeon breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention to his side. Luckily the rock hadn't hurt much.

"See?" It was Miranda. "It's not that hard." Tyler nodded. He didn't feel much sympathy for his opponent, not after it had attacked them like that. _I would have just stayed hidden_. He did wonder if they could speak.

"Do you know what it is?" he asked.

"Graveler, I think. The smaller ones are called geodude. And I'm guessing we're going to see a lot of them."

She turned out to be right. Over and over, cave pokémon would attack them, sometimes alone and sometimes in groups. As the flaaffy had predicted, she was called on to handle the bat pokémon, while Tyler fought the moving rocks of geodude and graveler. It quickly became almost routine; Claire stopped telling him to attack and just called him up before letting him handle things himself. Sometimes Tyler and Miranda would both have to fight – once they were attacked by no less than four geodudes, three zubats, and a bigger one called a golbat. That fight was harder; Claire pulled out a healing spray afterward and worked on their bruises and injuries before they went on.

Tyler noticed that they were moving downward as they headed further into the cave. Claire returned them to their balls several times when she reached holes and steep spots. Each time, Tyler was released back into the cave after a minute or two, on the other side of the obstacle. He had to admit it was easier than trying to negotiate the rocks himself. At one point, the trainer stopped to put on a heavier covering from her bag.

After a few hours, Claire returned Miranda to her ball and sent out Leo instead. Tyler had noticed her tail glow getting dimmer, especially after fights, though he still felt mostly all right. Claire pulled another metal object out of her bag. It lit up, and she started directing the beam of light out ahead of her, though it wasn't as bright. Leo flared up his mane for a few seconds, then let the flame subside. "Don't want to waste my energy."

A thought occurred to Tyler. "What time is it?"

"Judging by what I could see in my ball, it's about midafternoon," the typhlosion replied. _Right,_ Tyler remembered. _There's a sun in there_. Even though it didn't quite feel real, it would be nice to be back on his brightly lit ridge with nothing to do instead of working their way through the dark cave. Claire, of course, didn't have that option; Tyler found himself wondering again why he cared.

She checked on him periodically. Tyler could still keep going, but he was running out of water for his attacks. Leo was handling the bat pokémon as well as some of the rock pokémon now; Tyler noticed that the typhlosion's close-in moves seemed as effective as his fire attacks. A short while later Claire put Tyler back in his ball. It was a relief to be able to lay down, and he enjoyed the light too. Leo had been right – it was getting late in the afternoon. They'd gone a long way.

After a few minutes in his ball, though, Tyler started wondering what was going on outside. Leo had said that Tyler and Miranda would have an advantage in the cave; how was Claire doing without either of them? _It should be all right_ , he reassured himself. _Leo's stronger than I am_. Still, he couldn't help worrying.

Tyler spent the rest of the evening in his ball, only coming out for a few minutes to eat as night fell. Claire had a little water for them, but not nearly enough for Tyler to use. He decided not to drink any; he didn't have enough to keep using water attacks, but he wasn't in any danger. Tyler and Leo were both tired, so it was something of a relief when Claire said they were done for the night and put Tyler back in his ball.

* * *

 _September 5_

 _This is taking longer than I'd hoped. I knew the caves were big, but I'm starting to get worried that I took a wrong turn. I wasn't planning to spend the night here, so batteries are a concern too – I don't know how much longer my flashlight will last, or my tablet for that matter. I got a solar charger for long trips, but it's pretty useless here. Maybe I should look into something that would let Flaaffy charge them. Somebody has to sell those, electric pokémon are all over the place._

 _Anyway, plans. For light I'm gonna switch between Flaaffy and maybe Typhlosion so they don't get worn out too much. If it gets really bad (but I hope it doesn't), I could have Murkrow help me, since she can see in the dark. At this point I'll be happy to see zubat again, since that means I'll be getting closer to the surface._

 _As far as dealing with pokémon, I'm gonna have to try harder to avoid them. Typhlosion and Flaaffy's powers build back up with food and rest, but judging by how much water Vaporeon always absorbs whenever he can, I don't think it's the same for him. Murkrow isn't a good match for all the geodude and graveler down here, so I'll be keeping her out of fights until we run into more zubat. That's all for tonight, have to save the batteries_.

* * *

Tyler woke the next morning to sun in his ball. It took him a few seconds to remember they were still in a cave, and it was a while before his ball started flashing. He was sent out after a few pulses, appearing in the cave again. It was colder than he remembered down here, and pitch-dark too. Miranda was next, and she lit up her tail to show Leo and Olive already waiting for them.

"How was the night?" Miranda asked.

Leo arched his back in a stretch. "Quiet, mostly. Could hear geodudes moving around every once in a while, eating or whatever it is they do."

Olive nodded confirmation, then yawned. "I was keeping watch all night, but nothing saw us here."

Claire got out more food for them, then started speaking. Things weren't going well, and Claire said they needed to reach the other side that day. After that, it was back in his ball. He was sent out a few times during the morning to help fend off groups of geodude, exhausting the rest of his reserves in the process. After that it was back in his ball. With nothing he could really do, Tyler laid his head down on his paws to wait.

His ball didn't open again until after noon. He found himself alone with Claire and her small light. She pulled out one of the bars she'd been eating and gave it to him. It had a sweet taste and a thick, chewy texture; he didn't like it that much, but it was food. After that she sat down and faced him. With no one else out, Tyler had to make an effort to understand.

"Vaporeon?" She said something else, about water, and held out one of her containers, turning it over to show it was empty. "Can you help?" That much Tyler could understand. She wanted him to fill it with water, but the truth was he was out too. Reluctantly, the vaporeon shook his head, then he realized that if they didn't have water, none of them might make it out. Tyler could still go a long way, but he didn't know how to reach the surface again. This could be bad, for all of them.

He realized there was one more thing he could try. Tyler stretched out with his water senses, reaching as far as they would go. He did sense some a fair distance away, and he turned his head to look in that direction. He thought about it for a moment. He wasn't going to be able to find his way in the dark, so he moved closer to the trainer and started nudging the other balls on her waist. She pulled one off and sent out Leo; the flash from the ball made Tyler squint.

"What's going on?" the typhlosion asked.

"We need water. I'm out, but I can sense some that way."

"Well then, let's go," Leo said. He turned in the direction Tyler had indicated, but Claire said something that stopped him.

"What was that?" Tyler asked.

"She says… Hang on." Leo paused as the trainer went on. "Okay. So Miranda's resting right now, we don't have her for light. I could go, but more pokémon seem to attack my fire… and I can't keep it up for as long as Miranda can. And then… it would work with Olive, but she can't guide more than one at a time in the dark. I think she knows you know where water is, though."

As he finished, Claire sent Olive out of her ball and gave some more orders. "Did you get that?" Leo asked.

Tyler nodded. "I'm just going with Olive?"

"That's right," the murkrow confirmed. "She, Miranda, and Leo are going to stay here where we can find them. You really know where to find water?"

"There's some that way. I can feel it," Tyler told her.

"Are you ready for this?" Leo asked. "We're all sort of counting on you now."

"I think so. But if you and Miranda aren't here, I won't be able to see."

"That's why I'm going." Olive interjected. "I'll tell you where rocks and walls and pokémon and stuff are. If we're careful, we can make it without any of them coming after us."

"I hope so," Tyler said. "I don't have anything left to fight with. And I can't see in the dark."

"I'll keep you safe," Olive promised. "We just have to be careful."

Tyler looked around uncertainly, then started walking toward the water source. Claire called him back. "Be safe, okay?" she said, running a hand down his back. Tyler nodded, and Olive flapped over to perch on his back as he turned again toward the darkness of the cave. It didn't take long until they left Claire's light behind.

Once they were really in the dark, Olive started whispering to him, telling him to go left or right to avoid rock formations and pokémon. Tyler couldn't see anything, but her directions kept him on a level path. They reached a wall and Olive asked, "Is it up or down from here?"

"Up a little," he told her. She nodded – he could feel the bobbing movement – and directed him to the right, where the ground started to slope up. "There's an opening this way. Are we close?"

Tyler shook his head. "Not yet." They made it to the opening and Olive lifted off, vanishing on silent wings. She landed on him half a minute later, startling him.

"Careful," Olive whispered. "There's a geodude on the other side, on the right. We've got to go through quietly." Tyler complied, sidling to the left until he touched rock. Then he carefully made his way forward, trailing the tip of his left headfin against the wall to keep his bearings. "We should be all right now," Olive said. "Go right."

It was hard navigating without being able to see, but they made it through the chamber all right. "Uh-oh," Olive said as they neared the other side.

"What is it?"

"Let me see if there's another way." With that, Olive took off again, and Tyler waited for her weight to settle on his back again. It took longer this time. "Bad news," the murkrow reported. "This is the only way through, and it's just a crack. I can fit through it up higher, but it's not wide enough for you."

Tyler shook his head. "We're close, I'm not stopping now. I'll get through."

"How?"

He ignored the question for a moment. "How do I get to it?"

She led him to the wall until he could find it by touch. It was about wide enough for his head. "How far is it like that?"

"About… one body length. For you," she answered.

Tyler nodded determinedly. "All right, here goes." He pressed himself against the crack and dissolved his form into water. He'd been worried that it wouldn't work with his water reserves so low, but it did, and the vaporeon started flowing through the crack. It was slow going; it still wasn't easy moving around in a water form, but he was determined to make it to the other side. Finally he emerged into the open again, and Tyler turned to pull his tail out before pulling himself back together. He exhaled, wanting to rest for a moment. "It worked."

"I didn't know you could do that," Olive said, surprise evident in her voice.

"I was worried I couldn't, since I'm out of water." Tyler sighed. "It helped me get my brother and sister away from those Catchers." He pulled his mind back to the present. "It's this way now." He pointed with a paw, knowing Olive would see. She settled on his back and they kept going. The feeling of water got closer and closer until he could finally make it out as a stream. He started moving faster and tripped over a rock; Olive took flight as he tumbled to the ground.

"Careful," she said. "We're not alone in here."

"I know. Sorry. But can you hear it?"

There was a pause. "A little?"

Tyler nodded. "It's just this way." Olive landed on his back again and they made their way in the darkness to the other side of the chamber, where the stream was. It wasn't very big, but it would do. "You can get a drink," he told the murkrow. She lifted off again, and he made his way the last few steps to the water by sense. Tyler scanned the stream, looking for a deep spot. He stepped into the water, since he could make out the shape of the bottom in his water sense, and made his way there. It was nice knowing where to put his paws again, and even better to be in the water. Once he reached the deeper spot, Tyler lay down in it and started absorbing water with his whole body. His reserves started filling up, though it slowed once he'd used up all the water that had pooled in the dip.

Olive came over and perched next to him. "It's all dry behind you," she observed.

Tyler nodded. "I was out."

"How long will it take?"

Tyler took a moment to estimate. "Probably a few more minutes."

Olive didn't say anything for a minute, but then she asked him about how he changed to water. He explained how it worked, and then she started talking about some of the things she'd learned to do. It turned out Claire had actually taught her how to use the darkness move she called Night Shade, so he asked her next about how that worked and she explained that it had to do with using her energy. Somehow humans knew a lot about how pokémon energy worked.

Olive trailed off after that, and Tyler continued absorbing water in silence. It took longer than he'd thought, since the water didn't run very fast, but he was enjoying it a little. For a few minutes he could pretend it was just him on his own again.

Once he'd finished, Tyler got up. There was no answering rustle from the murkrow. "Olive?" he called in a low voice.

"What? Oh, sorry. I think I fell asleep." The murkrow yawned, making a rattling noise in her throat. "It was a long night."

"I forgot you were awake," Tyler said sympathetically. "But I'm done, so we can go back now." Olive settled on his back, and they set off. Tyler felt a lot better now that his water reserves were full. He wanted to keep talking to Olive, but he gave up after the sound attracted a geodude's attention. Once they stopped talking and stayed still, it left them alone.

They made it back without further incident; Tyler thought he might have even liquefied a little faster than he'd managed in the past. After continuing through the darkness for a while, Olive started urging him forward excitedly. They went a little further and finally Tyler could make out the light himself.

The light was from Miranda's tail; Leo was back in his ball. It didn't seem as bright as when they'd been traveling. Claire was glancing worriedly around; when she saw them, her face cleared. She and Miranda got up, meeting them halfway.

"Are you all right?" That was the first thing Claire asked.

"Yep," Olive chirped, nodding for good measure. Tyler nodded too.

"And did you…" Tyler didn't understand the last part, but he got the idea and nodded again. Some of the tension went out of Claire's shoulders. "All right… Umm…" She turned and pulled her bag out, angling it so it faced the light, then started going through it until she found a water container. "Here." She placed it on the ground, leaning against a rock. Tyler considered it for a moment. The opening was too small for him to get a stream of water through. Then he got an idea. Tyler moved over to it and stood on three legs, raising his right forepaw over the hole, then he started releasing water through his skin so it dripped off his paw into the container. It took him a moment to line the drips up, but once he did he started releasing more water, quickly filling it up.

Claire replaced it with another. She released Leo and gave him the full container. By this time Tyler was nearly done filling the second one, and he watched in satisfaction as the typhlosion thirstily emptied the container. It felt… _good_ , being needed like this. He kept filling them until Claire and the other two pokémon had enough – Olive didn't need more water. Claire reached down and patted his head. "Thanks, Vaporeon."

After that she returned him to his ball. He spent the rest of the afternoon resting there, but in the evening Claire sent him out again and it was back to fending off geodude. Now that he had water again, it was easy. They started encountering zubat again along the way, but Claire seemed almost happy about it. Tyler wasn't sure why.

Finally they emerged from the caves onto a barren slope. It was dark, but Tyler had never been happier to see stars in the sky. Claire reached into her bag and pulled out her flat machine again. She started tapping on it, her face lit by its glow. After a moment it went dark again, and she sighed and put it back. She looked around and then returned Tyler and Miranda to their balls.

Claire let them out one more time that night inside another building. It seemed unfamiliar, even compared to the other one, and Leo identified it as a house. "It's a little different from the PokeCenters," he told the vaporeon. "Smaller, more like a den really. Most humans live in houses like these, except trainers." He crossed to a window. "I wonder where we are… Okay, it looks like we're still up on the mountain. Someone must have let us rest here."

Claire was looking tiredly at them. "Sorry, you can't stay out tonight." As usual, Tyler couldn't understand the rest, but it was progress.

"Why can't we?" he asked.

Olive answered. "Claire says the people who own this house let trainers stay the night, but they don't like having pokémon out here. Something about smell." Tyler took an experimental sniff. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so he shrugged. Claire told them good night, and then he was back in his ball with a night sky up above.


	28. Pokemon Training

Nothing happened the next day until midmorning. Tyler was laying in his ball, wondering what was going on when it finally lit up. Claire had them outside the building – Tyler thought it must be the same one – and she immediately launched into an apology while pulling food out of her bag. There wasn't much, but she pointed down the slope to where another town was visible and told them that was where they were going. Apparently she'd slept for a long time after they'd gotten out of the cave and had just barely woken up. After quickly eating what there was, Claire put them back in their balls.

A short while later Tyler's ball opened up again, this time in another pokecenter – probably in the town they'd seen. There was more food for them there, and Tyler got a chance to replenish his water. A pink-haired woman came over and examined each of them. She felt down Tyler's neck and legs; he pulled away from the unfamiliar contact, but Leo shook his head warningly and so he waited uncomfortably as she continued with his back and tail before moving on. When she was done, Claire put Miranda back in her ball and passed it to the woman. Tyler moved to watch as she put the ball into a tall metal object – some kind of machine. It started making a low whir. He turned to Leo. "What was that all about?"

"That's the healing machine." Leo pointed.

"But what about the other part? Why was she touching all of us?"

"It's an examination. We were all fighting in the caves, but we've also had some time to rest. Claire was just having us checked to make sure we're not still hurt or anything. I guess the nurse thought Miranda needed some healing."

Tyler tried to put the examination out of his mind. "Really? She wasn't acting like it or anything."

"Miranda won't," Leo told him. "She's always trying to be stronger than everyone else. It's kind of annoying sometimes."

"She's not that bad." Olive jumped into the conversation. "I wish I was more like her sometimes."

"Why?" Tyler asked, curious.

"Oh, well, I don't know. I just do sometimes," the murkrow answered.

Leo nodded. "All right then."

Claire came up to them with their balls out. "I'm gonna do some shopping," she announced.

Tyler looked over at the other two. "What's shopping?" he asked as Olive disappeared into her ball.

Leo gave him a quick answer. "Getting stuff. Like food and stuff." Then he disappeared too.

Claire shrunk their balls down and put them back on her waist. She picked up her bag and called, "Come on, Vaporeon!" Tyler followed curiously. He didn't know why he was being left out of his ball. They went through a large door and Tyler found himself outside again, with the familiar red shape of the pokecenter behind him. There were other humans around, but Tyler didn't feel afraid of them like before. Claire headed off down the street, and Tyler followed, trying to keep up while looking around at everything.

Some things he recognized from exploring towns at night, but there were other things that were still entirely unfamiliar. Claire headed for an area that seemed to have even more humans, and Tyler had to turn his full attention to not getting separated from her. Finally she turned and opened the door to another building, letting Tyler enter before walking in herself. It was cooler in here, and the air was dominated by unnatural smells of metal and other Catcher things. She approached a man standing behind – _they called that a counter, right?_ – a counter and started talking to him. Tyler looked over the small machines on the walls; a lot of them looked like the one Claire had. He tried to listen to Claire and the man too, and he was able to pick out some of their conversation. She was looking for something, though he wasn't sure what.

After a minute, the man retreated to another room and came back with a bright yellow, rectangular object. Claire looked it over for a few moments before taking it and giving him something else in return. She left, holding the door open for Tyler again. Outside, Claire stopped and showed it to him, pulling it open to reveal something much smaller inside. She started talking about it; Tyler didn't get anything beyond that it was for Miranda, but Claire went on anyway. It was a good chance to listen to her talk.

As they went on, Tyler listened to some of the other humans around, picking out what he could of their conversations like Olive had recommended. He followed Claire through the streets as she went into two other buildings. She got healing sprays and some more of the other food she carried from a blue-colored one and then went into a smaller one that had lots of berries and fruits of different kinds.

After that Claire took him in front of another building. It was much larger than any others he had seen in town. She pointed it out and told him it was a gym, whatever that was. Then she headed back to the pokecenter and picked up Miranda's ball, putting it with the rest before turning to leave. They headed for the edge of town; before they left the buildings behind, Claire stopped and crouched down in front of him, putting a hand on the back of Tyler's head with her fingers splayed around his fins. "I'm gonna have you in some battles today. Be ready, okay?" With that, she stood up and continued out of town, beckoning him after her again.

Tyler enjoyed walking down the road. There was so much wide-open space here, even though it was still mostly dirt and rocks around, and different smells reached him on the breeze. They had been walking a few minutes when Tyler saw where she was going: there were other trainers up ahead. Two of them had pokémon out and seemed to be in a battle; one released a flash of light as he watched. The vaporeon trailed behind as Claire went up to one of the others and started talking. He nodded, and after a moment the two of them moved apart. Tyler watched the male trainer pull a ball out of his bag, and suddenly worry struck him.

Claire beckoned him over. "All right, this is it, Vaporeon. Your first battle. Ready?" Tyler hesitated, then gave her an uncertain nod. He didn't feel ready at all, and it wasn't just any battle for him.

This would be his first time really being like all the other trainers' pokémon. He would be there out in front, fighting whatever it was the other trainer sent out and taking orders from Claire. Tyler hadn't been looking forward to it, but there wasn't much he could do. _It's how I can get stronger. Focus on that_.

"All right then," Claire called out. "I'm using Vaporeon!" Tyler padded out in front of her like he'd seen the other pokémon do, a strange feeling washing over him. Part of it was nervousness, but there was… something else too.

The other trainer brought his arm back. "Go!" He threw the ball he was holding. "Sneasel!" The ball opened up in a white flash as it hit the ground, and a slender black pokémon with a red feather behind one ear appeared in front of him. Standing on two legs, it reminded him a little of the meowth he'd faced before. The sneasel gave him a confident stare as it settled into a fighting position with its white claws drawn back. Tyler shifted back and forth, crouching a little lower. He wondered if there was something else he was supposed to be doing.

"Get ready, Vaporeon!" Tyler wasn't quite sure what that meant, but he started drawing on his energy. The other trainer called out and order and the sneasel darted forward. Tyler's pulse quickened; it was faster than he'd thought. A split second later, Claire called, "Water Gun!" Tyler had been half expecting it already, so he quickly aimed a blast of water at his opponent, catching it in the stomach. It spun quickly out of the way, stumbling for a moment before regaining its footing and coming at him again. This time it came in and slashed at his side before he could do anything else. Tyler reflexively hunched his shoulders, but the layer of thick neck fur he'd come to rely on as an eevee wasn't there anymore, and the sneasel's claws left a painful streak down his side.

Tyler clamped down on a cry of pain, drawing a hiss through his teeth instead. He threw himself to the side as the sneasel tried to hit him again. As he rolled to his paws, Tyler realized Claire was shouting at him. "Vaporeon! _Vaporeon!_ " As he looked back at her, she called, "Use Aqua Tail!" Tyler thought desperately. _Aqua tail… aqua tail… Which one was that?_ Then he remembered. Tyler reached out and took hold of the water on the ground, pulling it into a spin around him as he moved. The sneasel, which was almost on top of him again, sprang back out of the way. As Tyler came to a stop, it ran forward and slashed him again, twice. Instead of dodging or trying another water attack, Tyler spun again and swung his long tail into its side. The hit knocked the lighter pokémon to the ground, and Tyler finally had a moment to catch his breath.

Claire was calling to him again. He turned back to her, wincing as his right side and shoulder flared with pain. "Okay, Vaporeon," she said, more quietly. "Use Aqua Ring." He threw a glance at the sneasel, which had also retreated to its trainer, before starting to cover himself with a layer of water. As it covered his scratches, they dissolved and started to heal. _That_ must have been what Claire wanted. _Why didn't I ever think of that?_ Healing with his own water seemed so obvious now.

The sneasel approached at another order from its trainer, stopping a short distance away to exhale an icy breath over him. It froze the water solid, encasing him in a shell of ice. The ice was stronger than it looked; the only place Tyler managed to break it was at the base of his tail. It was hard to breathe too. He started smashing his tail against the ground, breaking the rest of the ice off, then started working on the rest of himself. Meanwhile, the sneasel approached, leaped up, and brought both claws down on him, black energy tracing slashes in the air. It shattered the ice altogether and sent Tyler crashing to the ground, gasping. Claire was shouting something, but he didn't have any time to focus on the words. As he tried to get up, the sneasel slashed him again and again, dashing back and forth with more black energy to rake its claws horizontally across him. The cuts felt like they were on fire, and Tyler found himself curled up, gasping for breath. Finally Claire shouted something. The other trainer gave an order, and the sneasel left him alone. A rush of white light pulled him inside his ball again.

Tyler got up slowly, still panting, and limped to the cave he'd found. There was a depression inside and he tiredly filled it with water before laying down in it. The pain went away as his injuries started healing, finally letting him relax and think.

 _I thought I'd be stronger now_. That was the first thing that came to Tyler's mind. He didn't resent Claire for the fight; it… it hadn't been her fault he'd lost, it was his. He sighed. The sneasel had obviously known what it was doing. _Claire_ had known what she was doing. _I'm the one who wasn't good enough. But why do I even care? It was Claire's idea. It's not like I owe her anything_.

Tyler felt ashamed at the thought. It was true, but then… Claire had taken care of him. Trusted him. He didn't really want to be with a trainer, but he did like the human girl. He'd wanted to make her proud. That was what he'd felt, standing, facing another trainer for the first time. For some reason, Tyler cared what she thought of him.

After a minute, his ball started flashing again. Tyler got up out of the water, groaning as his cuts reformed half-healed. He made his way out of the cave, looking up at the pulsing sky. After a few moments, he started wondering if it was actually going to open. It finally did, depositing him near the training area. Water unexpectedly splashed down around him, and he took a moment to absorb it before Claire crouched down in front of him. She had a healing spray in her hand. "Are you all right, Vaporeon?" He didn't respond, and she ran her other hand lightly down his side. "That looks a little better. Were you…" Tyler didn't understand the next part, but she switched the healing spray to her empty hand and started using it on his injuries. He winced as the mist stung his cuts, but after a moment the pain went away.

"We're gonna need to work on that Aqua Tail," she commented as she worked. Tyler huffed his breath out in a sigh, slumping his shoulders. That was what Leo had said too. Guiltily, he realized he hadn't practiced at all since he'd first gone through his moves with Claire. _That probably would've helped_. As she finished with the spray, Tyler stretched his sore muscles and nodded. She gave him a piece of fruit and returned him to his ball. Once he'd eaten, Tyler finished his healing and practiced spinning and striking with different amounts of water until he started to feel tired.

Later in the day, Claire sent him out again. He still didn't win the fight, but he felt better about it that time. At the end of the day, Claire took them back to the pokecenter to rest, then let them stay out in her room for the night.

That was how Tyler's training started. He quickly started a routine of practice: every day when the sun came up he worked on his different moves, practicing the motions and repeating the human names in his head. He soon learned to keep an ear open for what Claire would say during a fight; things always got worse when he panicked and stopped listening. Claire understood the other trainers' orders, and whatever she called out usually helped him deal with what was coming, whether it was sweeping leaves out of the air with his aqua tail move or knocking the wind out of an opponent who was about to breathe fire.

As he got more used to working with Claire, she started to trust his reactions too, especially when things got to close quarters. Tyler's experience fighting as an eevee was valuable there, and he was a lot better at timing those moves than he was when using water. She also started teaching him about types. It was sort of like what he'd learned from Andreas, but more specific for him. He learned things like not touching water when he was fighting an electric pokémon (which, thankfully, didn't happen often) and how he could sometimes get bigger, heavier opponents stuck in mud. Tyler still wasn't sure he liked being sent out to fight, but at least Claire would end things before he got badly hurt, and he was getting stronger.

* * *

 _September 9_

 _It's taking some time to get ready for the gym. Honestly, most of it is bringing Murkrow and Vaporeon up to speed. I know Murkrow's not ever gonna be a heavy hitter, so I'm working with her on disruption. She can do pretty well when she blindsides things, so I try to play to her strengths, like night vision. Vaporeon will probably be stronger …eventually, but I don't think he evolved too long ago. He definitely seems more used to physical moves. He's making a good effort to get basic water moves and tactics down now, though, so he might be ready for something more advanced soon._

 _Typhlosion and Flaaffy, of course, already know pretty well what they're doing. They're not exactly the cute little Cyndaquil and Mareep I had when I was starting out anymore. It's good to know that I can fall back on them when things start going against us. I'll be relying on them against Janine._

 _As for her gym, trainers around here say they're all trying to be ninjas or something. I didn't think ninjas were a thing anymore, but I guess it gives me an idea of what strategies to expect in the battles._

* * *

A few times Tyler found himself in fights alongside Miranda or Olive. Claire called them "double battles" and Tyler liked them a lot more. He enjoyed working with one of his teammates; they could do different things when combining their powers. Miranda's electric attacks worked better on opponents if he soaked them first, and if there was water on the ground he could use it to sense where their opponents were standing while Olive was using her night shade move.

One day, Claire pulled him aside. "I've got something new for you to work on. Your water moves are getting pretty strong, but you still need some energy attacks. I know Vaporeon can learn a few." She pulled out her tablet and consulted it for a moment. "There's one called Aurora Beam that shouldn't be too hard for you to learn, you just need to learn to tap into your energy directly. It's a pretty strong attack, and it'll help disorient your opponents so they can't aim at you very well, kind of like when Flaaffy uses Flash."

Tyler started trying. It was easy drawing on his energy, but he only knew how to use it for water. "Let's try something else," Claire added. "You're normally focusing your energy inside you, right?" Tyler gave her a slow nod. "I want you to focus it _outside_. Like… like when you're using it to move water around, but don't do anything with it yet, okay? Just focus it on one spot, right in front of you. You got that?"

Tyler took a few moments to work it out in his head before replying yes. He took a deep breath and furrowed his brow in concentration, trying to do what Claire had said. It reminded him of his first time trying to move water, back on the river, and Tyler felt a flash of longing to be back there. He shook the feeling away. _That's not going to happen_. He gathered his power up and tried to push it into one spot. After a few moments, a glowing dot appeared in the air in front of him, and Tyler's pulse quickened.

"There you go," Claire encouraged. "That's a start. Now, can you make it stronger?" Tyler nodded carefully, not taking his eyes off the ball he was forming, then started drawing on more energy and focusing it in front of him. The little ball of energy got larger and brighter as he did. Claire eyed it critically. "All right, that should be enough. Can you put it back and practice it again? That's the first part."

Once he was a comfortable with forming a ball of energy, Claire said, "Okay. Do you know what a rainbow is?" The vaporeon thought for a moment and shook his head. It wasn't a word he'd heard before. "All right. Give me a moment…" She pulled out her tablet again and started tapping on the screen, then paused. "Actually, why don't I just—" She tapped on it some more, then turned it to face him. There was a picture on it of curtains of light in the night sky in different colors. "This is an aurora. It's what the move you're learning is named after. The next part should be to make your energy turn colors like this."

Tyler imagined the aurora moving, waving back and forth in different colors. _I've got to make my energy do that?_ _Let's see…_ He called up memories of the familiar feeling of water rippling. It seemed right, so he tried to change his energy from a point into a ripple. He'd never seen an aurora before, but he tried to imagine how the colors would ripple outwards. Tyler watched in fascination, both seeing and feeling the point of energy unfurl. It really did look like a little aurora. _I'm doing that!_ he thought again, as excited as the day he'd first unlocked his powers as an eevee.

The aurora continued to spread, and after a few moments it faded. It had used up more of Tyler's energy than he'd been expecting. "Can you do it again?" Claire asked. Tyler tried, but he was only able to make a small one. "That's all right," the trainer reassured him. "This must be your first time using energy attacks. You should get used to them with practice. It'll make you stronger too. Maybe we can try again after lunch." With that, she sent out Leo, Miranda, and Olive and pulled out food for all of them.

It took some time until Tyler was able to hold the aurora for more than a few seconds, and it was another day after that before he finally managed to send the power rippling out in a beam that satisfied Claire. It still drained a lot of his energy, so he started practicing with it too in the mornings. He had to be careful not to overdo it and exhaust his powers, especially since they still practiced against some of the other trainers in town every day.

After another week of training there, Claire pronounced her team ready for the gym. Tyler had asked about it a few times; Leo had told him it was one of the challenges trainers had to pass. There were apparently eight of them in different towns, and this would be the fifth. Claire also told them this was the poison gym. Tyler hadn't been looking forward to it; all of his experiences with poison so far had been bad. At least Claire would be taking care of them – Tyler saw her pouring one of the poison sprays into a bottle of water on the morning of their challenge.

Tyler was only sent out for one fight that day; Claire brought them all out in the afternoon to get ready for the gym. "So, Janine only takes challengers at night," she told them. You can all get some rest, we're not doing anything else until sundown. Maybe try and take a nap."

She went on to outline what they'd be up against. "It sounds like the gym here is ninja-themed." Tyler looked to his sides and saw he wasn't the only one confused by the word. "That means we might not be in for fair fights. They'll try to mess with us, probably with me too, so keep an eye on them. It'll be dark in there too, so we're gonna have to work with that. I know that's not gonna be a problem for you, Murkrow, but it means it won't be for them either, so be careful. Typhlosion, Flaaffy, you're gonna have to be careful with your light. A little is enough for them to see you – if you're gonna light up, do it bright enough to see them too. Flaaffy, if you can't see them, get ready to use Discharge, but wait till I say, okay?"

"I will," Miranda confirmed. Claire turned to Tyler.

"Vaporeon, your Aurora Beam is gonna help too. I know we haven't really used it in battle – are you ready?" Tyler responded with a yes and a nod. "Okay, good. It'll seriously mess up their night vision – just be careful you don't look at the beam when you're using it. If it's really dark, I want you to set up water right away like we practiced. Don't wait for me to tell you, I don't want them knowing what we're doing. I know you can tell where stuff is, so use it to aim.

"And Typhlosion, you're gonna have to be extra careful. They'll probably try to dodge and hit between your fire attacks, so make sure you're always ready to follow them up with Slash or something." She sighed. "Hopefully it'll be light enough to see and none of this will be a problem, but we have to be ready. That's all till tonight." Tyler, Leo, Miranda, and Olive all nodded. Tyler glanced out the door; Claire caught the movement and smiled. "Don't worry, Vaporeon, I filled the tub with water for you. Go ahead."


	29. Challengers

The sun was going down when Claire roused them again. She gave them a few moments to stretch before launching into her speech. "All right, guys, this is it. We're challenging the gym, so be ready." She paused. "I'm not sure what to expect, so I need you all at your best. Ready?" Tyler looked around at Leo, Miranda, and Olive and nodded with them. "All right," Claire said again, "this is it." She picked up their balls from where they lay on a shelf and put them inside one by one.

Inside his ball, Tyler looked at where the sun was. It just barely showed over the side of his rocky slope. He tried to imagine what would be going on outside. Claire had showed the gym to all of them, and Tyler thought it would take a few minutes to get there. He ran through what Claire had said told him. He was supposed to spray water on the ground so he could sense if anything touched it—but only if it was too dark to see. And then he was supposed to get ready to use Aurora Beam too. He paced back and forth. The whole idea worried him. He imagined paws or claws skittering around him in the dark, staying out of sight until they struck. _I hope it's not really dark in there_.

He kept pacing, running over what he was supposed to do over and over. Finally he forced himself to sit down and wait. It might be a while until he was actually sent out. He tried to calm down and keep his breathing even as the minutes dragged by. Then his ball flashed, once—Tyler started even though he'd been waiting for it—twice—he sprang to his paws—and then he was standing on a floor with lines through it. Details flashed through Tyler's mind as he quickly looked around: flickering light from a single candle, lines on the floor, the other trainer sitting with his legs crossed, a movement at the edge of the candlelight… _What is it?_

That reminded him, and Tyler quickly spun in a circle, spraying water on the floor. He heard a surprised noise from the other trainer and briefly saw Claire skip back to keep from being sprayed. _Oops_. At the same time, there was a splash on his right. It felt like he'd hit something, and Tyler marked the direction in his head. Facing forward again, Tyler started drawing on his energy, building it up. It was a little like taking a deep breath. He started focusing it in front of him, where a pinpoint of light appeared.

"Not yet, Vaporeon," Claire said. The other trainer said something at the same time, and Tyler felt a movement on his left. His opponent? But hadn't that been on the right? Another splash. _That's definitely it._ He started turning and backing away. "Careful, Vaporeon, they have—" Claire was interrupted as the other trainer snapped out an order, and a wad of goo shot toward him. Tyler jumped out of the way, but an unexpected collision caught him off guard and he went down.

"They have invisible walls! Be careful!" Claire finished. "There's one behind you and another one behind him." Tyler looked around as he got up and made out a line where the water on the ground ended. More goo splattered over him. "Vaporeon, Aqua Ring! Wash it off!" Claire sounded worried. He started releasing water and Claire added, "Keep moving." He did, just in time to dodge a third glob.

As Tyler shook the goo and water off, the other trainer called another order and his opponent moved into the light, coming for him. It had a squat, round purple body with some kind of red flower on top, and it smelled revolting. Another order came from the trainer, and Claire called, "Aqua Tail!" Tyler started to spin on his paws as his opponent tilted forward to point its flower at him, and he swept the water into the air to intercept a burst of powder. Some of it got past and he coughed as it settled over him. A few seconds later, Tyler started feeling numb all over, and he stumbled. Panic swept over him.

"Calm down, Vaporeon," Claire called reassuringly. "It'll be okay, don't try to move. Just focus. You don't need to move to use Aurora Beam. Just do it." Tyler clung to the calm in her voice. The flower belched out another burst of powder. "Ignore it," Claire said. "Aurora Beam. Give it everything you've got." Tyler nodded as well as he could, a point of white light already appearing in front of him. He took careful aim and sent the power streaking out in a rippling beam of rainbow light. The purple pokémon lurched to the side, but he still hit it dead-on. As Tyler's opponent staggered back and fell, the second wave of powder hit. He tried not to breathe as long as he could, but some of it still got into his lungs. "One more time, Vaporeon," Claire said, still in that calm voice. "Take it down. You can do this."

Tyler focused his power again, trying to ignore the sick feeling that was starting to make its way through his numbness. _Poison,_ he thought. _Gotta finish this…end the fight_. He hit the other pokémon with another beam just as it was getting to its feet, and it dropped facedown. This time it couldn't get up. Tyler felt relieved as his opponent disappeared in a flash, but then the enemy trainer pulled out another ball. _It's not over…_

"You did great, Vaporeon," Claire said. "Try to rest now." With that, he found himself inside his ball again. He carefully lay down, drawing painful breaths and trying to ignore the spreading poison. _I don't think I like ninjas_. Tyler knew Claire wouldn't be able to do anything to help him until the battle was over, so he waited, eyes closed, trying not to breathe too deeply.

After a while, the ball opened. He was back on the dark floor of the gym. The other trainer was still there, but the battle was clearly over. "Hold still," Claire told him, an antidote bottle already mixed and in her hand. She started spraying it over him like she had the night he was captured, and Tyler quickly absorbed the liquid. "Are you having a hard time breathing?" Tyler gave a weak nod. "All right, this one first." She pulled out a yellow spray. "Open your mouth. I need you to inhale it." She'd done this once before, so Tyler complied, coughing a little as he took as deep a breath of the spray as he could. "There you go." She poured the rest of it into a bottle of water and shook it before spraying it over him as well. His throat started to loosen up in the process, and feeling started to come back as he absorbed the second spray. Tyler stretched his stiff legs in relief.

"There you go. Is that better?" Tyler nodded again, rising to his paws. "Hang on. You breathed some poison spores too." She held the antidote spray to his mouth and he took a deep breath as she squeezed it twice. The vapor made him cough again, but he was starting to feel better. "How're you feeling? All right?" she asked. When he nodded, she said, "All right, we'll save the rest of this."

After that it was back in his ball. The sky inside had gone nearly dark now, and a half moon had appeared on the horizon. Normally he would be asleep by now, although he almost never slept in his ball—usually Claire would let them out for the night.

It took a while before his ball lit up again. Tyler jumped to his paws and waited, wanting to be ready this time. The red light flashed for a while. _What is she doing?_ Finally his ball opened up again. Before he'd even taken a good look at his surroundings, Claire called, "On your left! Water Gun!" He reflexively turned that way and saw an indistinct serpentine shape moving toward him. Calling on his power, Tyler opened his mouth and shot a jet of water at it. The first one missed, so he fired again, catching it this time. It reared up, and Tyler flinched. _It's an arbok!_ The memory of Mother facing an arbok—getting poisoned—hit Tyler as he started backing away from the menacing snake.

"Water Gun—again!" Tyler opened his mouth, but jumped as the arbok snapped at him. _It's okay,_ he thought, trying to reassure himself. _It's not close enough to bite me_. "Come on, Vaporeon!" Claire called, adding to his thoughts. Tyler gathered his courage and fired another blast of water that caught the arbok in its outspread hood. At least this one seemed to hurt it, but now it came at him faster. Tyler backed away again, wishing he had water close by. "Vaporeon, circle around!" Claire called worriedly. The other trainer—a male, by his voice—shouted something too, and the arbok slithered sideways to cut him off from the water on the ground. At another order, it charged. Tyler froze up, and the arbok coiled around him and started to squeeze.

"Vaporeon!" Claire's voice was frantic now. "Acid Armor!" She had never called for him to do that in a battle before, but it was probably Tyler's only chance. He tried to relax in the arbok's grip, and his body started losing its form. The arbok immediately struck with its poison fangs; it broke Tyler's concentration and he turned solid again. Normally he would have been worried about losing, but all Tyler felt now was fear. _It's got me, just like Mother_ …Tyler struggled in the arbok's grip, but it just squeezed tighter. He could feel pain spreading through him from the poison too. "Vaporeon, Aurora Beam!" Tyler couldn't even try. _It's got me_. That was all he could think about.

White light from his ball enveloped him. When its landscape appeared around him, Tyler crashed to the ground, shivering. He was sore from the arbok's crushing grip and the area where it had bitten him was throbbing with pain. He only felt it in a dizzy, detached way, though; he was lightheaded and breath came in shallow pants.

With an effort, he tried to think about something else. _I'm okay. A little._ _Except it still poisoned me and… No. Don't think about it_. The poison was starting to get worse; Tyler almost wished he could just black out. _Do something… Acid Armor. Go liquid_. He shook his head, trying to drive the shivers away. When he could focus, Tyler started turning himself liquid again. He'd gotten faster, but still nowhere near the speed he would need in a fight. He shakily completed the change, and to his relief the pain disappeared. He didn't breathe in his liquid form, and that helped him relax too. _I just want to be water right now. Not a vaporeon. Not anything. They can't touch me if I'm water_.

Tyler's mind cleared as he lay still, and he started to feel ashamed of himself. _I panicked. I shouldn't have. Claire won't let me get really hurt._ Still, Tyler shivered again when he thought of the arbok, even in his liquid state. Mother had fought to keep an arbok away from him. _That was how she got caught_. Tyler didn't know what he could do against the huge snake pokémon. Just thinking about it terrified him. _Calm down, Tyler. It's not like that anymore_.

He waited miserably in his ball for longer than he'd hoped. Instead of opening, the ball started glowing with the warm light of the healing machine. Tyler reformed; he knew it didn't work very well on his liquid form. A low hum reached him as he solidified, and all the pain came back too. Tyler tensed against the pain for a moment, but he'd been expecting it and relaxed again, letting the healing light do its work. The bite marks and bruises slowly faded; as usual, it didn't do anything about the poison, but he did feel a little better.

Finally the light went out. A minute later his ball flashed and opened, depositing him in an examination room with a tired-looking nurse. She lifted his head with one hand, looking him over and running a hand across his neck. "Looking better, are we?" She pulled out an antidote and twisted the top off. "Here, drink this." Tyler tilted his head back, taking quick gulps as she poured it into his mouth. The nurse patted his head. "That should be it. You'll feel better soon." She gave him an oranberry from a bowl before putting him back in his ball.

Tyler carried the berry to one of his caves and lay down again. He bit into it, eating slowly while he waited for the antidote to do its work against the poison. It was taking longer than normal. Before he finished eating, his ball opened again. He was in one of the larger trainers' rooms in the pokecenter this time. A few trainers were on beds, already asleep with curtains pulled around them; Claire sat on the nearest, looking over her team. "I'm sorry, guys," she said tiredly. "This was my fault. I thought we were ready, but we weren't. Anyway," she added, turning to her bag, "Here's something to eat. Don't worry about tomorrow, we'll take the day off. Just get some rest, okay? Good night." With that, she reached out and drew a curtain around them before pulling out some clothes and heading to the bathroom.

As they all started eating, Leo heaved a sigh. "So, we lost. They were stronger than I thought."

"How far did we get?" Miranda asked.

"Not to the leader. I think I was the last one down, because Claire went to the pokecenter right after I lost." He turned to Tyler and Olive. "What about you?"

"I beat a koffing, but then I lost against an arbok," Olive said.

Tyler nodded and sighed. "The arbok beat me too." He looked away. "I…don't like arbok. I hope I don't have to fight another one."

"Why not?" Miranda asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

"An arbok poisoned my mother…That's how the Catchers got her." Tyler shook his head. "I don't like them."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

They kept discussing the events of the night until Claire came back. She climbed into the bed and turned on her side, and they fell silent. "Good night," Olive chirped softly.

"'Night," Leo murmured back.

* * *

 _September 21_

 _This is actually for last night, but I was really tired and I just didn't feel like it._

 _I lost at the gym. We didn't even make it to Janine. I didn't really get ready like I should have, now that I think about it. The second trainer got Flaaffy and Typhlosion poisoned and just dragged things out, and they were both worn out by the third battle. I have to finish things fast next time so I can get them antidotes. I can't waste any time against poison pokémon._

 _I also feel bad because I was pushing them all really hard. I know Vaporeon wasn't ready for some of the moves I asked him to use, but I didn't know what else to do. I shouldn't have even challenged that last trainer, I knew we weren't going to make it. I let my team down. That's what Dad would say if he were here, and he's right._

 _I should probably write about something else too, but all I can think about right now is our gym challenge. I might as well figure out how to get ready for next time. One thing I didn't do is train at night. Duh, Claire! You're going to challenge a gym_ _ **at night**_ _, maybe train your pokémon for it? And I'll need to figure out ways for Murkrow and Vaporeon to break out of an opponent's grip. And I guess not hold back as much with Typhlosion and Flaaffy's big attacks. Keeping them back isn't worth it if we can't make it to Janine._

 _Whoops, Typhlosion just woke up. Is it breakfast time already? Well, gotta go. Gonna figure this out later._

* * *

As Claire had promised, they didn't do any training that day, although it was obviously on her mind. Tyler was just relieved not to have anything to do after the previous night. She took them to a small park, one of the few grassy areas in the town. It even had a little pond, and Tyler was delighted to find a marill bobbing in the reeds. "Hi there," he called, swimming over.

"Um, hi. What are you doing here?" the marill responded cautiously.

"Not much. Just, you know, stretching my fins."

"That's your Catcher over there, isn't it? You're sure you're not here for me?"

The words stung even though that wasn't the reason. Tyler shook his head vehemently. "I'm not here to catch anyone. But…yeah. She's my Ca—I mean, my trainer."

"Well, as long as you're not here to fight or catch me or anything, I guess it's okay. Why are you out here?"

"We aren't doing anything today," Tyler told the marill. "By the way, what's your name? I'm Tyler."

"I'm Lawrence," the marill replied. "Why aren't you doing anything? Catchers are always doing stuff."

"Well, we went to a gym last night." Noting Lawrence's uncomprehending look, he sighed and added, "It's a challenge for trainers. We have to beat eight of them to…never mind. Anyway, we lost last night."

"I don't get it," Lawrence said. "What difference does it make to you? …She doesn't punish you, does she?"

"What? No! Of course she doesn't!"

"Well, do you get anything out of it if you win?"

"Well…I don't know," Tyler said.

"So why do you do it then? Why do you even stay with a Catcher?"

Tyler thought about it. "I used to wonder the same thing. Before I got caught. And…I guess I still don't really know. But it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Claire cares about me." He sighed. "And I guess I'm getting used to it. It's not like I can go anywhere."

"Oh." The marill looked at him. "You're not like I expected, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean for a Catcher's pokémon. I guess…I thought you'd be meaner. Or something. Sorry." The marill looked embarrassed.

"I don't think it's like that," Tyler said. "But they're not all like Claire either. Some of them…" He gritted his teeth. "Some of them deserve to be called Catchers."

"What if you could leave? Right now?" Lawrence asked him.

Tyler hesitated. "I don't know. Part of me wants to. A lot of me wants to. But at the same time, I'd feel wrong about it." A memory came to him. "I had a friend, a quilava, out in the wild. His brother, actually," Tyler added, glancing over at Leo. "He told me once that we all have a path to follow that will keep us from getting lost. Maybe that's why." He nodded. "I think I need to see this through." _And one day, I hope I'll get another chance to find my family_.

Tyler said goodbye to the marill and submerged, letting himself drift underwater. He wondered how Carson and Kara were. Had they gotten away? Did they find Zahna? Would they be all right? …Had anyone ever found out what happened to him?

 _What about Skylar and Sasha? And Mother and Father?_ Tyler still didn't know if his other siblings had gotten away, but he didn't think so. They would have come back. His parents had been captured for sure. They were out there somewhere. Maybe they had to fight for the Catchers who'd taken them. _I hope not_. Maybe they weren't, though; Carson and Kara hadn't had to. Tyler still didn't know what the Catchers had been doing with them and the other pokémon. _All I can do for now is get stronger. So that's what I'll do_.

Tyler stayed in the pond for as long as he could, coming up periodically to see if they were waiting for him. Claire left him alone until the early afternoon; the next time he came up she waved him over. Tyler swam to the pond's edge and stepped out of the water, absorbing the drops that still clung to his skin and giving a satisfied sigh. He hadn't been able to stay in the water like that for a while. It had been nice. He padded over to where the other three pokémon had already assembled.

"I've been thinking about last night," Claire began. "I don't blame any of you for losing…it was my fault. We're gonna challenge the gym again, but not for a while. I want to be ready this time. One thing we're gonna be doing is battling at night. No more day battles for a while. I talked to some other trainers this morning, and they agreed to train against us starting tonight. Next time we take on Janine's gym, we're gonna have some surprises for her."

They trained night after night, learning how to battle different opponents in the dark. Sometimes they would be under the moon, or sometimes in the shadows or even inside a building called a warehouse with all the lights off, leaving it pitch black. When they weren't battling, Claire had other things for them to do. She had Tyler work on getting faster at turning liquid and using aurora beams, as well as using water on the ground to follow opponents' footsteps better so he could aim even if he couldn't see. She told him that using aurora beams more would increase the limits of his energy, so he practiced liquefying in his ball in the mornings, then firing aurora beams down the slope until he started to get tired. It did seem to make a difference, and as his energy increased Tyler noticed he could absorb more water too. The exertion left him hungry, but Claire made sure they all got plenty to eat and he could still rest during the day before having to battle.

As they trained, the shadow that had been hanging over them after losing against the gym was lifting. Tyler felt better about how he was doing, and Leo, Miranda, and Olive all seemed more upbeat too.

After more than a week, Claire pronounced them ready to challenge the gym a second time. "I'm so proud of you all. You've worked really hard. Ready to take Janine?"

"Yeah!" Leo roared, and they all joined in, Tyler included. _I know what I'm doing this time_ , he thought. He'd pushed himself to hit harder and faster with both his water blasts and his aurora beams, and he wasn't worried about the dark anymore, except against flying opponents. The only move he still didn't feel ready to use was Acid Armor—liquefying still took too long, except maybe against a big, slow-moving opponent. Claire wanted him to master it, and he could see how much it would help, so he kept practicing. _This time, things are gonna be different_.

Claire had them all drink an antidote before they went in. "This should help protect you from poison for a while," she told them. After that they went to the gym. It was dark, so Claire let them all walk down the street with her, passing under streetlights until they reached the large doors of the poison gym. "All right, this is it," Claire said. "We can do this. I believe in you." With that, the trainer returned them all to their balls.

Tyler sat still, trying to remember every detail from the last time, anticipating the feel of the planks under his paws, the sparse light from the candles, and the invisible walls he'd have to avoid. He took a deep breath. _I'm ready_.

Tyler waited until his ball started flashing red again. His pulse quickened, but he stood up slowly, trying to keep calm. After a few seconds, his ball opened, and he found himself facing the purple pokémon—he'd found out it was called a gloom—from the first time. This time it was out in the light.

Tyler immediately took a fighting position, half crouched so he could dodge at the first sign of an attack. "Wait for it," Claire instructed. The other trainer shouted an order and Claire immediately called, "Aurora Beam, now!" As the gloom ran closer on stubby legs, Tyler focused, aimed, and fired, sending it staggering back a step. As it recovered and came at him again, Claire ordered, "Catch it with Aqua Tail!" 'Catch it' was one of the techniques they'd practiced that week. Tyler covered his tail fin in water before whipping it around to fling a wide spray of drops toward his opponent. At the same time, the gloom's flower belched yellow paralyzing spores. The water and spores met in the air, but Tyler's move swept most of them away. He ran left to avoid the stray spores; a few got on him, but the small numb spots were just annoyances. He looked hopefully at the gloom, which had been hit by most of the spray, but the spores in the water didn't seem to affect it.

"Vaporeon, Water Gun!" Tyler nodded and hit the gloom with a blast of water. He was waiting for another order when the gloom disappeared into its ball and the enemy trainer sent out a large spider pokémon. "All right, Vaporeon, it's Typhlosion's turn now," Claire called, and a moment later a white flash enveloped him too.

A minute later, he was sent out again, once again against the gloom. He could tell their first encounter had weakened it. Before he could do anything, though, it started glowing green. The green glow surrounded him too, and suddenly Tyler's strength started draining away through the spores that had stuck to him. He gritted his teeth, determined not to stumble. _Gotta stop it_. "Vaporeon," Claire ordered, "Aurora Beam! Quick!" It was a little hard to keep it together with the gloom sucking his energy, but Tyler managed to get a beam together and strike his opponent with a burst of multicolored light, breaking the connection. Some of his strength immediately ebbed back up and Tyler shook himself, trying to drive the lingering weakness away. "One more Aurora Beam, Vaporeon!" The gloom started to glow again, but before it could complete the attack Tyler hit it again, taking it down. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

The other trainer nodded and returned the gloom to its ball before congratulating Claire and moving out of the way. Before putting Tyler back in his ball, Claire knelt to check him over. "Are you feeling all right, Vaporeon?" He nodded before stretching his shoulders where a couple of stun spores were. "All right. You rest for a while," she told him with a smile, patting his neck and then returning him to his ball.

Once inside, Tyler let his breath out and lay down, wanting to conserve his energy so he'd be ready the next time Claire sent him out. _It went better this time_ , Tyler thought, looking up at the stars. Then another thought occurred to him. _I faced the gloom again like last time. I hope the arbok isn't next_. He shook his head. _It probably won't be, right? I beat the gloom the first time, but not the arbok. Leo would be better at fighting it_.

It took longer than Tyler expected before he was sent out again. This time he was in a larger area, with several candles or torches hanging from the ceiling. The trainer they were facing was dressed more ornately too. _This must be the leader! We made it!_ He pulled his mind back to the battle and looked at his opponent. It had a yellow, humanoid body with a ruff like he'd had as an eevee. Tyler's first thought was relief that it wasn't an arbok. It was…about Miranda's size. And there was…something…dangling from one of its hands that drew his gaze. The more he looked at his opponent, the harder it got to focus. _What should I…be doing?_ Tyler didn't know.

A voice pierced the fog in his mind. _"Vaporeon!"_ He reflexively looked back toward Claire for a moment, and his mind started to clear. _A battle. Right. Keep an eye on the enemy._ He looked back toward the advancing pokémon.

"Vaporeon! _Vaporeon!_ " Claire's voice came again, insistent. _What is it?_ Tyler didn't move. It was hard to think about anything. He vaguely heard another shout, then the noise went away. A few moments later, something struck him in the side. Tyler flinched at the unexpected impact, turning toward the source. "Vaporeon! Look at me!" Claire ordered. He started to turn away again. _"NO!"_ his trainer shouted, sending another jolt of surprise through him. "Come. Over. Here. Eyes on me." Tyler started toward the girl, haze lifting from his thoughts with each step he took. Behind him, he heard the leader say something, and he glanced back. "Don't," Claire warned. "Keep looking at me." She kept talking as he came closer. "Listen, Vaporeon. You can't look at it, it's a hypno, it'll put you to sleep. Here's what you have to do." Claire lowered her voice. "When I give the word, use Water Gun. Don't go for the hypno. Put out all the lights, fast. I'm not gonna be able to see what's going on after that, so you'll have to fight it on your own. Use water like I taught you. As long as you're not looking at it, it shouldn't be able to put you to sleep." She looked at him for a moment. "You got all that?" Tyler nodded. "All right. I trust you, Vaporeon. You can do it." She stood up straight and shooed him away. Tyler turned halfway around, carefully averting his eyes from the hypno. "All right, Vaporeon," Claire murmured. " _NOW!"_

Tyler spun, looking upward and lining up the first light. He drew on his energy and spat a burst of water. As soon as he knew he'd hit it, he turned and ran toward the second light. He repeated the process for the last two, circling around the hypno in the process. As he doused the last candle, total darkness fell. He spun away from Claire, who he'd been facing as he finished, and ran to the middle before turning a circle and spraying water across the ground. Once he'd done that, Tyler lowered his head and closed his eyes, stretching out with his water sense instead. After a moment, he made out movement from the hypno as it took cautious steps, moving in his general direction. Tyler's mind was clear now. _I'm ready for you this time_.

As the hypno approached uncertainly in the darkness, Tyler built up a blast of water, letting it loose when he was sure he couldn't miss. There was a gasp of breath from the darkness, and a thump that reverberated through the water. _Got you_. He moved forward. At the last moment he had the idea to keep the water still with his power, so his steps made barely any noise at all. The hypno was moving again, probably standing up, and he launched himself in its direction when he got close. It felt like he hit it in the stomach, and he heard a grunt before it hit him in the head with a fist.

Tyler shrugged off the hit, backing off again and circling slowly around. As he searched for another opening, the leader—Janine—shouted and order and the hypno started a droning hum. It was oddly disorienting, and Tyler shook his head, trying to dispel the effect. He took a step toward the hypno and almost fell; his balance was way off. _Aaron used to do this to me,_ Tyler thought, swaying on his paws. _Have to do…something it can't dodge. Break its concentration._ He risked another step forward, carefully setting one paw in front of another; it took a few tries for him to place it solidly. He focused on his water sense. It was hard to judge directions, but he knew the hypno was close to him. Using a water gun or aurora beam was out of the question. Tyler knew he couldn't aim. _I'm close enough for an aqua tail, though. I think._ He took a deep breath, preparing to move.

The hypno heard him; he felt a lurching footstep in the water. _Now!_ Tyler reached out with his power and pivoted, sweeping the water around. The droning cut out as he fell over, breathing hard. _I think t_ _hat worked_. He pushed himself back up, shaking the dizziness away.

From the other side of the room, he heard, "Hypno, Disable!" _Oh no, you don't._ Before it could do…whatever it was about to do, Tyler found it again in the water. Tyler opened his mouth and blasted it with a water gun attack. There was a flash as it fell back.

 _Oh no, you don't_. Before it could do…whatever it was about to do, Tyler found it again in the water. _It's still down_. Aiming low, Tyler opened his mouth and…stopped. He couldn't remember how to fire a water blast. _That's the simplest attack I know…Why can't I think of it?_ He tried, almost coughing in the process. _What's wrong with me?_

Claire's voice rang out in the darkness. "Forget about using moves, Vaporeon! Just take it down!" He nodded, even though he couldn't see her, and charged. _Figure out why later._ He was still worried, but right now he was going to end the fight. The ripples shrank as he approached—the hypno was standing up. Tyler slammed into it, bowling it over. He rolled to his paws and came at it again, nearly running the hypno over. He came to a stop and opened his jaws to bite, and his teeth came together on what felt like its nose. The hypno started flailing awkwardly to get him off. Tyler backed off a step and waited for it to get off the ground before slamming his tail into the hypno and knocking it down again. _This_ was something he could do without Claire's help.

Tyler didn't feel any movement in the water now, and he looked around expectantly for a ball to reclaim the hypno. He waited…

"Vaporeon?"

"Hypno?"

 _Right. They can't see_. Tyler threw back his head and howled his victory. "All right, Vaporeon!" Claire's excited shout came back at him.

"Not bad," the leader remarked. "Hypno throws most opponents off who think they can win by just powering through all my poison-types with brute force. I'm excited to see a creative strategy like this. You're not winning that easily, though! I am still the poisonous ninja master!" As she said this, a finger of white shot out and sucked the hypno back into its ball. "Let's see how you handle Crobat when you can't see!"

There was a flash in the air, then silence. Tyler waited with a sinking feeling. The leader's voice broke the stillness. "Crobat, use Cross Poison!"

"Vaporeon, use…Aurora Beam!" _Where?_ Tyler glanced around hopelessly. _Maybe I can use it for light._ He started drawing on his energy _. I hope…I can remember this one_. That was still unnerving. Tyler was still able to focus his power, though, and he looked around as his energy started expanding into rainbow aurora waves. Still nothing he could see…then something slashed across his back from behind. Tyler reflexively went into a tumble, losing control of his power. The energy flared out above him into a full aurora for a few seconds. He sprang to his paws again, looking around in the brighter light. _There!_ A dark shape hurtled toward him from above. Tyler dodged, but it followed his movement and slashed him again. He set his jaw against the pain, taking it silently. _What do I do against this thing?_

The aurora was fading now. "Vaporeon, Water Gun!" Claire ordered. "Everywhere!" Tyler faltered. _I _—_ I can't_. The leader said something too, and Claire made a frustrated noise. "All right, come back, Vaporeon." The light swallowed him up again, leaving Tyler alone in his ball again.

The first thing he did was check himself over. The slashes hurt a lot, and familiar pain was spreading. _That's definitely poison_. He went to fill the depression with water, then remembered that he couldn't. Tyler gritted his teeth in worry. _That hypno…what did it do to me?_ He settled for releasing water through his skin. He immediately picked up something wrong with the water, and the slashes refused to heal when he lay in it. _This isn't good_.

 _All right. One thing at a time. I have to figure out what happened to me._ Tyler thought back to his fight with the hypno. _It was going to use 'Disable.' I guess that's what this is. And then I attacked it…wait, did I? And…wait. There was a flash. The first time? Did I forget?_ Things were starting to make sense now, a little. _I remember! …I have the same memory twice, except I_ _ **did**_ _use a water gun the first time. I know I did. But then it made me forget that happened…and then I couldn't remember Water Gun either._ Tyler shivered at the idea. _But I remember now, right? Please let this work_. He raised his head, took aim at a rock, and sent a jet of water into it.

Tyler was so relieved that he melted into the pool he'd made. _It's back. I didn't forget it forever, the hypno could only keep me from remembering for a little while_. He didn't do anything else for a minute. _Okay. What about this poison?_ There wasn't much he could do about that, except hope the antidote Claire had had him drink earlier helped. It seemed like poisoned water wouldn't heal him either. _I guess I'll just have to wait_.

That turned out to be it. Claire didn't send him back out again. After a while, his ball lit up from the healing machine, and then the nurse opened his ball to give him another antidote for the poison. As soon as he appeared in the room, all of his water splashed to the floor around him, making the nurse stare at him in surprise. After a moment she collected herself and gave him the antidote. Once he had finished it, she pointed indignantly at the water on the floor and made him clean it up before putting him back in his ball.

Tyler rested his head on his paws and tried not to fall asleep. _It's late._ He knew Claire would probably send them out again before the night ended, though. As he'd expected, his ball opened a few minutes later. They were in a different room than before; this one was smaller and didn't have any other trainers. Only Miranda and Leo were there with them.

Claire gave them a tired grin. "We won." She held up a shiny purple object. "We got the Soul Badge." Their trainer glanced out the door. "Murkrow's still in there. She got hit really hard by Janine's weezing's Explosion attack. The nurse said she'll be all right, but it's going to take a while longer for her to heal." Leo cast a concerned look toward the main room of the pokecenter. "Anyway, that's all. We'll celebrate tomorrow." Claire yawned. "Good night, everyone."

* * *

Here's how the battle went down:  
 **Claire's team:** Typhlosion (good condition), Vaporeon (good condition), Flaaffy (somewhat weakened), Murkrow (weakened)

Janine led with an ariados, and Claire sent out Typhlosion. It was over quickly. Next was Janine's weezing, which kept tanking Typhlosion's hits and belching poison gas, so Claire switched and had Murkrow harry it for a while. Then...it used Explosion. Next out was a venemoth; Claire used Flaaffy to leverage the electric-flying advantage. It worked, but Flaaffy got worn down (by the venemoth, but also by the weezing's residual gas) and then Janine's hypno took her out. With her only dark-type, Murkrow, in bad condition, Claire sent out Vaporeon, since she'd been training him to fight in the dark and his water attacks didn't give off any light, which should keep him safe from hypnosis attacks. That strategy almost blew up at the beginning; Claire barely managed to snap Vaporeon out of it in time (by throwing a spare potion at him). Once she got Vaporeon to douse all the lights it went pretty well; as she'd expected, there wasn't a lot the hypno could do in the dark. Then Janine sent out her crobat. Since it wasn't on the ground, Vaporeon's sensing strategy didn't work, and he had barely any chance of ever hitting it. The crobat had no such problems. Claire finally switched back to Typhlosion, who had two advantages: 1) he had fire to see by and 2) he knew Lava Plume, which nailed the crobat hard every time it came in for an attack. Even being disoriented by Supersonic didn't stop him; Claire just had to tell him when to attack, no aiming necessary. Janine's last pokemon was another ariados. You can guess how that went.

Also, as far as the poison gym leader having a hypno, I figured it could fit under the category of being a ninja and messing opponents up. It makes sense that a ninja gym leader would have one pokemon purely for the purpose of curveballing challengers' anti-poison strategies.


	30. Reward

_All right everyone, I've got this worked out. This is a sort of catch-your-breath interlude for Tyler, and the following four chapters will bring the Part IV story arc to its epic conclusion (really though, these are going to be an emotionally intense four chapters). Part V will form the overall conclusion of Tyler's search._

* * *

As Claire had promised, they celebrated the next morning. As soon as they woke up, Claire left them in the room and came back a minute later with Olive perched on her shoulder. The murkrow seemed all right, but she seemed more relieved than anything that the gym challenge was over. "I'm still pretty sore," she told them. "The nurse told Claire to give me a day or two."

"What happened to you?" Tyler asked. "Claire said something last night about a weezing?"

Olive nodded. "I was trying to stay out of its way, wearing it down, and then it exploded. I don't remember anything after that."

Leo winced sympathetically. "I've been hit by Explosion before. It's bad."

"Are you going to be all right?" Tyler asked.

The murkrow nodded. "I think so." Claire smiled and reached up with a finger to tickle Olive's black throat feathers. The bird gave her head a quick shake and added, "But I think I'll stay up here for now. I'm not up to flying around very much."

"Well, luckily you won't have to," Leo said. "We won—Claire said today we're gonna celebrate."

"I know," Olive replied. "She just told me on the way."

"What do you think we're going to do?" Tyler asked.

"You know, Claire was probably about to tell us," Miranda put in. All four of them quieted and turned to look expectantly at the girl.

Their trainer smiled back. "Who's hungry?"

Claire put them back in their balls to head into town, releasing them again a few minutes later at a trainers' restaurant she'd taken them to once before. It had a huge assortment of tables, chairs, benches, and cushions of different sizes; Claire pointed them out and told the three pokémon (Olive still perched on her shoulder) to pick some. Tyler found a long cushioned bench and grabbed a leg in his mouth, dragging it back to the low table Claire was sitting at. When he lay down on top of it, it put him on the same level as everyone else. Being taller, Leo and Miranda both decided to sit on the floor, though Leo did pull over a cushion. Miranda didn't bother.

A man came over asking what they wanted to eat, and Claire asked him for some things, looking around at them for confirmation. While they waited for the food to come they looked around. A few other trainers were there too. Tyler even recognized some of their pokémon, including ones he'd trained against several times over the previous week. Leo waved and called out to one of them and they all ended up talking for a few minutes, discussing what they'd learned lately and where they were going until the man came back with their food.

The food was better than anything Tyler had ever had. There were different things made from bread or berries, as well as some things he'd never had before. One of them was a delicious , savory piece of…something. To Tyler's delight, Claire said it was fish. He quickly finished the rest of it and sat up, licking the last of the fish off his muzzle. _I knew I was going to like them_.

When they left, Tyler was more full than he'd felt in a while. It just all tasted so _good_ , better than anything he'd had out in the wild and most of what Claire brought along when they were training. He wasn't the only one. Leo got up and slowly stretched when he was done, and Olive even caught Miranda trying to hide a yawn. Claire asked who wanted to come with her on the walk to their next destination, but for once Tyler was content to just ride in his ball instead of walking outside.

Their next stop turned out to be a shop. Claire let them all out again inside, reassuring the woman inside that they would all be careful. She led them over to a shelf full of balls in different patterns. Tyler was surprised to see so many; the only kinds Claire had were Leo and Miranda's, which were red on top and white on the bottom, and the kind he and Olive were in, which had a blue-and-red pattern on top. Tyler saw at least six different kinds here.

Claire picked out three black ones with gold and silver trim. "I was trying to think last night if there was anything I could get you guys with some of the prize money, and then I remembered these." She held them up again. "They're called luxury balls. They're pretty new, and they're supposed to be nicer on the inside, so…I hope you like them." She looked at Tyler and frowned. "I was actually gonna get you a different one, but it doesn't look like they sell them here. Wait here, I'm gonna go talk to the shopkeeper."

She came back a minute later shaking her head. "Sorry, Vaporeon. It doesn't sound like anyone around here sells them." She bent down to rub Tyler's head before cupping a hand under his chin. "I'm gonna try and find something else for you, okay?" The trainer turned back to everyone else. "We have to go back to the pokecenter to register these new balls to you, so just a few more things. I'll let you all out again soon, I promise." With that she returned them to their balls.

Tyler waited inside, wondering what was going on and what Claire had been talking about. _What is she going to get?_ Tyler hadn't ever really been given anything before, although he wasn't quite sure a new ball counted. _I wonder what she meant when she said they were nicer inside?_ Tyler sighed. _I guess I'll have to ask Olive, since I won't get to see_.

It was a while later when Tyler's ball lit up again and Claire released him into the park they'd been to a few times before. "We're gonna stay here for a while," Claire announced. "I'm gonna set your new balls up. Murkrow, you wanna go first? I was really proud of you yesterday."

Olive nodded. "Thanks Claire." She hopped down off of Claire's shoulder, flaring her wings to land and wincing a little. "Ow. My wings are all stiff."

"All right," Claire said, pulling out her tablet. "Actually…before I get started, I did get you something, Vaporeon." Tyler looked up at her, curiously pricking up his fins. She turned and pulled a pocket of her bag open, rifling through it before extracting another ball. "Here it is." She expanded it to full size. Tyler didn't think it looked like much—it was a dull gray, except that the band around the middle glowed light blue—but Leo straightened up in surprise.

"This is called a TM. It'll help you learn a new move. This is a really powerful one called Ice Beam. I looked it up and you should be able to pull it off. Do you wanna try it now, or play in the park for a while?" Tyler only had to think about it for a moment. _I want to see this thing_. He walked over and put a paw on the strange ball, and Claire nodded. She held it up and pointed at Tyler and then the usual flash of white enveloped him.

Tyler wasn't sure what to expect inside. _How am I supposed to learn a new move from a ball_? When the light faded, he found himself in a circular room with light gray walls. Glowing lines like the one on the outside ran through it in places. Before he could do anything else, a pokémon suddenly appeared in front of him. It looked like a large white fish, but there was no fin on its back and its face looked sort of like a flaaffy's, or maybe a tauros.

"My name is Aurora, and this is the Ice Beam TM," it said. Tyler had opened his mouth in surprise to reply when it went on. "I'm not actually here—it's just a recording to explain what to do. This is what the move looks like." It turned to the side and took a deep breath before opening its mouth wide. A flickering stream of blue-white light blasted from its mouth with a rushing noise, hitting the side of the ball and leaving a frozen spot on the wall. "Ice Beam is a powerful ice move that can sometimes even freeze your opponent.

"Before you start, there are different ways to use the move depending on whether you're an ice pokémon or not." Glowing lines traced out three circles in different colors on the floor. "If you're an ice pokémon, go to the white circle now. If you're a water pokémon, go to the blue circle. If you're something else, go to the brown circle." The pokémon stopped moving, looking like one of Claire's pictures. Tyler hesitated a moment before padding forward to stand inside the blue circle. The pokémon flickered and disappeared, and the lines on the walls took on a deeper blue color. A large pokémon appeared in front of him; Tyler thought he recognized it. _Lapras, right?_

The lapras spoke in a deep male voice. "As a water pokémon, your powers aren't too different from ice already. Ice is just frozen water. You can already use water, so you need to learn cold." It reared up and Tyler skipped back with a surprised cry as it blasted the floor in front of him with another ice beam attack. "Look at the ice." There was a pause, and Tyler moved forward to inspect the tracery of frost. He noticed that it wasn't cold, but that didn't surprise him as much now that he was more experienced with pokeballs.

"See the shapes? Water locks into place and makes crystals when it freezes. It slows down and stops. That's what you have to do to make cold. Control your energy to make it slow down. It's kind of hard to explain, but you'll see what I mean." A moving image appeared next to him, a haze of jiggling dots. "Even when there aren't any currents or anything, water's always moving, like this." As the lapras spoke, the dots started to move more sluggishly. "You have to make it slow down. When you make it stop, it freezes into ice." The dots started fitting together into a pattern and turning white.

"That's the first step. Focus inside now. Control your energy, hold it still. You should start to get colder if it's working." The lapras paused again, and more circles appeared. "Once you've got it, step into the blue circle to go to the next part. If you want to hear this part over again, stand in the red circle. If you get tired, the white circle behind you will open the TM. That's all. Good luck." With that, the lapras's image froze.

Tyler took a minute to think. This TM was different from anything he'd ever done before. _I guess I'll just have to go along and see if it works_. He ran through the first part in his head. _Control my energy and hold it still…okay, let's see._ The vaporeon closed his eyes and took a deep breath to help him focus until he could feel the flow of his energy. _Hold it still…_ Tyler unconsciously started tensing his muscles, stiffening his legs and letting his breath out. _Hold it…_ It was almost like he was trying to wrap his paws around his energy and press it against himself so it couldn't move. He stayed like that until his breath ran out.

 _This isn't working,_ Tyler thought. _How did that work again?_ He tried to picture in his head how the dots had slowed down, but he hadn't been paying as much attention to that as what the lapras was saying. _Okay. He said red to see It again, right?_ Tyler hesitated a moment longer before heading over to the red circle. The lapras's image flickered and it repeated the same thing as before. This time Tyler paid special attention to the image of the moving dots.

 _Okay. I'll just try to slow it down first._ Tyler pictured the dots slowing down and settling into place, like they had while the lapras was explaining. That part was making more sense now. He focused on his energy again, picturing it moving more sluggishly. As he let his breath out again there was a definite effect. It felt like ice water running through his veins; Tyler lost his concentration and it went away. _Okay. Do that again_. He took another breath, exhaling slowly as cold ran through him again. He repeated it several more times, making sure he knew what he was doing. _Okay_. Tyler took a deep breath, a little nervous, and shook himself to warm up a little. Finally he moved to stand in the blue circle.

The circles disappeared as the lapras unfroze again. "The next part is concentrating the cold in one place inside you so you can release it. Pick one place, focus your energy there, and bring it to a stop. That's the point you'll be launching your attack from, so where will depend on where you start moves like Water Gun." The lapras stopped and another pair of blue and red circles appeared on the floor.

Tyler had to stop for a moment. _Where_ do _I start water attacks?_ He tried it experimentally, firing a small jet of water across the room. It felt like…somewhere in his chest. Maybe above his lungs. Tyler took another breath, fixing the spot in his mind and gathering his energy. He started focusing it like he would for an aurora beam, and a point quickly developed. _Now concentrate it. Make it cold_. _I can do this_.

It took him a while to get it right. Tyler had to go back and practice cold energy a few more times and listen to the explanation over again, but finally he tried it again and felt a cold spot build up in his chest. White mist puffed out of his mouth when he breathed, as if winter had come. _I got it!_ The cold energy was getting uncomfortable, so Tyler released it again, swallowed, and shook himself again before moving to the next blue circle. _I guess I don't want to hold it too long._

"The last part of the attack is releasing it as a beam," the lapras continued. "If you know Water Gun or Hydro Pump, it's not too different from that, but you have to use the ice energy you've built up instead of firing it as a normal water attack. Get that part down first. It doesn't matter if it's pretty. The next part is to help you improve your technique, so just get some kind of beam out before going on to the next part."

Tyler nodded and got started. He formed the energy point and started cooling it down. When he was ready, he tried to fire it, but it didn't respond like he'd hoped. _Wait—I'm trying to do it like an aurora beam. He said to try to make it more like water gun._ The cold was starting to get uncomfortable again, so Tyler stopped the attack and took a few more breaths to let his throat warm up. _Okay. Like water gun this time._ He built up the ice energy again. _Water blast, but use this energy instead_. He fixed it in his mind and opened his mouth wide, triggering it like a water blast. There was a cold rush in his throat, and the energy spewed out into a puff of white.

 _That's a start_. Tyler thought about what the lapras had said. Was it close enough? He decided to try again. This time he was able to get it to come out a little straighter. He decided that was good enough and headed to the blue circle to see what came next.

"The main thing you have to focus on is control. The big difference between this and water attacks is that water will more or less stay together. If you don't control an ice beam, it'll just spread out without really doing anything. Like…this." The lapras paused, took a breath, and finally reared back to fire an ice beam. This one didn't hold together; it streamed out into a smokelike puff like Tyler's had before dissipating into white mist. "Focus the energy, hold it together in a beam. Try it a few times." The image froze again.

 _Okay. I can do this_. Tyler realized this move had been a lot faster to figure out so far. Maybe he was getting more experienced, or maybe it was easier because there was a pokémon explaining what to do. Or maybe it was because he could see the lapras demonstrating. _Control it. I guess that_ is _kind of like Aurora Beam then_. Tyler built up another concentration of energy and chilled it again. _Keep it together_. He let loose again, trying to focus it all in and forward. This time worked better, and he was starting to get a feel for the attack. He did it two more times before he was satisfied.

As he headed for the next blue circle, Tyler realized he had used a lot of his power. _I don't know if I have enough left to get good at it right now._ He decided he would see what the next part was before he stopped.

When he stepped into the circle, the lapras started speaking again. "That's the full Ice Beam attack. The last part is training." A large circle appeared in the air about halfway across the room with alternating circles of red and white around a center point. "Use your ice beam on that target. The TM will analyze each attack and give you advice afterward until you've got it down. Good luck."

 _Okay,_ Tyler thought, _it's just practice. I want to be back at full strength when I come back in_. He considered the target for a moment longer before shaking his head and heading to the white circle in the back. When he reached it, the room flashed red a few times like a normal ball and then released him back into the park.

Claire looked at him. "That was quicker than I expected. Did you get it?"

Tyler thought for a moment before tilting his head to the side. "Not quite…" _I wish she could understand me_. He shrugged and went over to Olive. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little better. How did it go in the TM?"

Tyler shrugged. "Pretty well. I can do it mostly, it's just not very good yet. There's a practice part next, but I've used up a lot of energy so I was thinking I'd wait until it's come back."

Tyler spent a while swimming in the pond. He made out a few pokémon there but he didn't feel like talking to them, so he stayed underwater most of the time, enjoying getting to use his gills again. He got out after a while intending to go talk to Leo and Miranda, but Claire waved him over instead. She had more food; Tyler suddenly realized how hungry he was. After he ate they all talked; Leo told Tyler that they were probably headed to the coast, where there was another city with a gym. That meant he might finally get to see an ocean like the wartortle had told him about.

In the afternoon Tyler went back to Claire and put a paw on her bag. She looked at him quizzically for a few seconds and then laughed. "This what you're looking for?" She held up the TM.

"Yeah." Tyler nodded and the trainer pressed the button, returning him to the room. The dewgong Aurora reappeared and went through the same introduction; Tyler moved to each blue circle as it appeared, only half listening to the lapras's instructions along the way. Finally the target appeared again. _All right, here I go_. Tyler built up another ice beam and fired it at the target, hitting it with a powdery _swoosh_. Nothing happened for a moment, then the lapras's image appeared again.

"You need to focus the beam more. It's spreading out too much." Tyler nodded to the image and started another ice beam, making sure he held it in a tight beam this time. After a moment, he got another message telling him that he needed to make the beam colder. That took him a while to get right, but finally his attack lanced out in a white stream, leaving behind a line of mist in the air. Then the TM told him he was holding the energy too long before releasing the beam. Tyler shook his head. _I hadn't realized there were this many ways to get it wrong_. He worked to do it more quickly and the lapras appeared again to tell him it needed to be more powerful.

Tyler ran out of patience. _Fine._ He built up a more powerful attack and set his jaw as he cooled his energy into an icy pit inside his chest. He let loose, missing the target completely. His beam hit the wall and everything flickered, including the floor under his paws. Tyler flinched, staring around apprehensively until the flickering went away. _I guess I need to be more careful where I aim_.

The vaporeon took a moment to settle down. _All right. Let's do this one right_. He formed another core of energy, his breath puffing out in clouds as it turned icy. Tyler stared at the center of the target as he fired, willing the beam to stay together and strike where he wanted. His power shot out in a flickering stream just like the ones the lapras and dewgong had demonstrated and hit the target dead on. The whole room flared, and then Tyler felt an uncontrollable rush. Something compressed him for a moment before breaking away, and then Tyler suddenly found himself in the air a few inches off the ground. He fell and collapsed in grass, completely disoriented.

He looked up to see Claire standing over him. "Well, looks like that TM's done. I guess you got it, right, Vaporeon?" Tyler pulled himself to his paws, looking around. He was back in the park after all, and the sun was going down. _I think I broke it_. Claire didn't seem angry though. He finally pulled his attention to the present and met his trainer's eyes. "Well? Can you do Ice Beam now?"

Tyler nodded. "I got it."

Leo came bounding over. "Let's see!"

Tyler looked back up at Claire. "All right then Vaporeon," she said, pointing at a rock, "Ice Beam!" He looked around—everyone was watching now. Tyler swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. He took a deep breath as the cold pit formed in his chest and blasted the rock with the icy energy. It wasn't as clean as the ones he'd done in the TM, but it worked, covering the rock in a thin layer of ice. He trotted over with everyone else to inspect it. "That's great!" Claire exclaimed. "You're gonna have a surprise for flying types now!"

Leo and Olive congratulated him, and even Miranda gave Tyler a nod. "Not bad."

Tyler smiled. It had turned out to be a good present after all. _I'm gonna practice some more tomorrow. I know how to do it now_. Claire put them back in their balls and took them to get more food before going back to the pokecenter. It felt a little weird not going to train when the sun went down, since they'd been doing it every night for two weeks now, but Tyler wasn't complaining. He wanted to get a good night's sleep to be ready for whatever Claire had in mind for the next day.

* * *

 _October 1_

 _Well, that's all the money from the gym gone. I need to be more careful…_

 _Sorry, I should back up. We beat the gym last night. It was a tough fight, but we managed to pull through. Typhlosion and Vaporeon were both still up at the end. Janine surprised me with an Explosion attack, though. Murkrow got hurt pretty bad. Even after as much time in the healing machine as Nurse Joy said she could take, she's still recovering._

 _Anyway, I blew pretty much all the gym prize money today, took the team to the nice café and then got them all the new luxury balls. Except Vaporeon. I was thinking maybe a dive ball for him, but they don't have them here, so I picked up an Ice Beam TM instead. The lady at the shop said I should try one of the towns on the coast. There's a water gym out there, so that's where I'm going next. It'll be Flaaffy's chance to shine. And Vaporeon too—I kinda want to see how he does fighting other water pokémon in the water. Based on how much he likes getting in close, I'm thinking pretty well, since most water pokémon seem to like staying back and using special moves (well, except Alisha's croconaw, but that's different)._

 _So tomorrow we're headed out again. I've been in this town for a couple of weeks now, which is longer than I was planning for. It's starting to get cold…getting down to the beach sounds like a great idea right now. Only thing is it's pretty far away. It'll be almost a week at least of travel. Oh well, I need the exercise (it's seriously been like a month since I was on the road). The team probably does too._

* * *

Claire woke them up early that morning; the sun was barely shining through the window. "Everybody ready? We're headed to the coast."


	31. Being Useful

After a quick breakfast and a little time to get ready, Claire put them back in their balls and they set off. Tyler didn't get to come out until afternoon, and by then they were in unfamiliar territory. The area was mostly dominated by tall pine trees, but their branches started high enough off the ground that Tyler could see further than he was used to in forests. The ground was mostly bare dirt covered in a layer of old pine needles, though he could make out pokémon tracks here and there. Claire pulled out a few berries for him to eat, and then he walked with her for a while.

They ended up in fights with several wild pokémon, but they weren't much of a challenge compared to the trained opponents Tyler was now used to. Most of them ran off after taking a few hits. Tyler didn't mind too much; it wasn't like Claire wanted to invade their territory or anything, they were just passing through. Claire asked him to use his new ice beam attack quite a bit in the battles, and Tyler appreciated the chance to practice. He could do it well, but the action still didn't feel natural and he had to pause each time for a split second he didn't always have to work it out.

They camped again that night; Claire cooked food on a fire like before, and they all went to sleep with stars peeking through the treetops like before. They kept a little closer to the remains of the fire since it was getting colder.

Tyler felt more at home now that they weren't in buildings and rooms all the time—even though it was easier there, this was more like the life he'd grown up with. He enjoyed the time he got too spend outside his ball walking with Claire as they kept traveling. He also noticed that his ball didn't seem to flash for as long anymore before he would be sent out, which was nice.

After two days they got to another town, but it was the smallest Tyler had ever seen There wasn't even a proper pokécenter there, just a few buildings where Claire got some supplies and a room to rest for the night. After that they kept going. The terrain changed as they went on, passing through dry sandy areas and then Tyler's favorite, a path that ran along a river. Once or twice when he was out with Claire he saw water pokémon in the river and called out greetings, but they avoided him. Tyler just had to sigh each time. _It isn't like that_.

One day when they were almost to another town, Tyler's ball lit up with its normal pulsing flash and he found himself out facing another trainer under a noon sun. He focused on his opponent first, a raticate, but then he looked past and started. It was the boy, the trainer who had chased him back in the forest. Before any fighting started, while the trainers were still talking, Tyler called out to the raticate. "I know you. You're the rattata who was chasing me by that town."

The raticate gave him a confused look for a moment, then his eyes widened. "Wait. Are you telling me you were that eevee? The one I let get away?" Tyler nodded. "So then I guess she caught you instead. What are the odds?" He glanced back over his shoulder. "Let's not tell Ray, okay?"

Tyler stifled a laugh. "Let's not." He went into a crouch, and the raticate mirrored the action. "You ready?"

Claire made the first move. "Vaporeon, Water Gun!" Tyler fired a stream at the raticate, which started dodging. Claire told him to keep it up, so they danced around for a few seconds with the raticate trying with some success to avoid his attacks. Then the other trainer Ray snapped out an order and the raticate launched itself at him. Claire called for an aqua tail attack, but there wasn't time and the raticate bit down on his shoulder with glowing fangs. Tyler cried out as Claire told him to use Aurora Beam. The raticate loosened its hold as Tyler focused, turning his head to let loose the energy blast. It wasn't able to get away in time, and the attack left it staggering back. _Now!_ Tyler was about to go charging in, but as he took the first step his shoulder gave out and he dropped painfully to the ground. Claire told him to start healing with Aqua Ring instead, so Tyler covered the area in water as he pushed himself back to a standing position. He could tell he was fairly hurt, but his shoulder was the worst. He needed it if he was going to be able to run.

The raticate started to come at him again and Tyler instinctively blasted at it with water, trying to keep it at bay while he focused on his shoulder. _Wonder how much more it can take._ Tyler's instincts told him the raticate was getting close to the breaking point. He'd hit it with quite a bit; it couldn't hold out forever. _I can't either, but I'm not in bad shape yet. That fang attack hurt a lot though_. Echoing his thoughts, Ray called another order and the raticate lunched at him again, fangs glowing white. At the same moment, Claire called, "Ice Beam!" _Go fast._ Tyler formed the point of ice energy as quickly as he could. He managed to get off a sloppy ice beam right before the raticate got him. It wasn't pretty, but it worked, forcing the raticate to break off its attack. It was still on its paws, but Tyler could see it shivering.

Before anything else happened, Ray vanished the raticate back into its ball. He shouted something about— _Meganium? What's that?—_ and then it appeared. _Ohhh_. It towered over him now; the buds had turned into a huge red flower around its neck and vines were already waving from beneath. **_That's_** _a meganium_. She shot him a glare that was instantly familiar. _I wonder if she remembers too?_ "Hey," Tyler taunted. "Remember me? The eevee that beat you?"

"You!" Without waiting for orders, the meganium reared back to throw a spray of razor leaves.

Tyler might have been done for but Claire instantly yelled, "Aqua Tail!" and Tyler automatically snapped into action, whipping a spray of water around himself that caught the leaves…or at least most of them. Tyler grimaced as a few cut into his side and tail. He lost the rest of his control over the water healing his shoulder in the process too and the pain came back as it reformed. It was a little better; that would have to be enough. _She remembers me all right,_ Tyler thought, already regretting his taunt. Claire called for him to use Ice Beam again. _Right, grass pokémon._ Tyler started the attack, but a vine snapped against the side of his head before he could use it. Tyler stumbled and lost the energy in a puff of white mist that spread frost across the grass next to him.

The boy called out another order, and a grin spread across the meganium's face. "Try beating this." The petals around her neck started glowing yellow.

"Ice Beam! You've gotta use it now!" Tyler gritted his teeth and focused ice energy into another point. _It's a race now_. At least the meganium was occupied with her own attack and wasn't using her vines. As quickly as he could, Tyler finished and let loose with his ice beam. Before it reached the meganium, she dropped her head and pointed her flower at him as the petals flared white. A huge beam of blinding yellow light tore through his ice beam before overwhelming him as well. Several seconds later, it went out and he collapsed. _Owww…_ Every part of him hurt now, and all Tyler could see was bright yellow everywhere. He could tell he was on the ground, but it hurt too much to get up. A few moments later he felt the rushing sensation as Claire returned him to his ball.

Once inside, he just lay there for a few minutes, blinking and closing his eyes to bring his vision back. _Yeah…she definitely remembered me_. _I don't know what I could have done to win that fight_. That attack had just been too powerful. _It'd be like fighting Leo, except at least I have some advantage there_. As he started to be able to see again, Tyler raised his head and looked around before giving up with a groan. _Maybe I'll just lay here_. He covered himself with water and some of the pain went away as most of his body dissolved. Hopefully he'd be healed enough to get around before anything else happened. He didn't know if he'd be any good in a fight, though; that battle had drained most of his energy too.

After a few minutes Claire sent him out again. Ray wasn't anywhere around; Tyler didn't know whether that meant they won or lost. She gave him a few berries to eat and then pulled out some medicines and started working on his shoulder. "It doesn't look too bad. This should be enough to get you to the pokécenter." She patted his flank. "Don't worry, we're pretty close."

As Claire had promised, Tyler's ball lit up with the soft light of a healing machine a little while later. The next time his ball opened though, they were in a forest again with no sign of any towns. The trees were different from what Tyler had seen before—everything seemed greener somehow. He sensed that there was more moisture around too. Tyler immediately found himself liking the place. Claire had sent out everyone else too; she pulled out food and they ate a late lunch. "Did we win?" Tyler asked.

Leo nodded in satisfaction. "I got to take Diane down a peg. Again." He looked around. "Sorry, that's what Ray's meganium's name is. I know her from before Claire got me."

Tyler stretched, remembering. "I actually fought her once. That trainer—Ray, right?—tried to catch me back when I was an eevee. I won, but I think she was already tired before. Anyway…I sort of teased her about it. She…she remembers me…" Tyler shook his head. "I don't think I've ever gotten hit that hard." _Well, except from Zahna_...

"Diane's always taken losing personally," Leo said. His eyes twinkled. "That means our fights are always _very_ personal."

"I'm glad _you_ had fun," Tyler grumbled, stretching his shoulder again.

"Hey," Leo said sharply, "Don't take it that way. Things happen, sometimes we all lose. One fight isn't the end of the world."

"I know," Tyler sighed. "Sorry."

"But…yeah," the typhlosion continued. "I used to know Diane, and Ray and Claire know each other pretty well too. It's not the first time we've battled, and it won't be the last either. It's not too bad. He's a friend, and his team are mostly pretty nice."

"So where are we now?" Olive broke into the conversation. "I don't think we've ever been through this area."

Tyler cocked his head as Miranda and Leo both shrugged. "Still headed for the coast, it looks like," the typhlosion offered.

"It's getting warmer," Miranda added. "We're probably close."

Claire put them all back in their balls again after they ate; Tyler only came out again for a few quick battles before nightfall. None of them were very difficult, though his opponents were all pokémon he didn't recognize. When they made camp, Tyler sensed a river not too far off. He could hear it too. Claire loaded him down with water containers to fill, so he headed over while the others were collecting wood to start a fire. He stopped for a moment on the mossy bank and looked downstream. _Rivers flow to the ocean. That's where we're going_. He sighed contentedly. _I'm getting to see a lot of the world with Claire. I don't mind this part_. He filled all of the containers, got them looped over his neck and shoulders again, and headed back. When he arrived, the fire was already going and Claire had started making something to eat.

It was a nice evening; the food was good, they were in a pretty area, and coming south had taken the edge off the night's chill. As it got dark they could see flashes of light from some ledian flitting through the trees. Sometimes it was just nice to be out with Claire and the rest of the team. They all curled up next to Claire to sleep, even Miranda.

The next day they got things packed again. Tyler looked in the direction the river had been heading, and Claire chuckled. "Yep, Vaporeon, that's the way we're going." She put them back in their balls so they could continue.

Later that day Claire sent Tyler out again so he could walk with her down the green path. Getting to walk with Claire outside his ball was something that usually only happened once every few days; Claire would switch to let all of them travel with her and Tyler was glad it was his turn now that they were in this forest. The best part was the sounds; it was always pretty quiet in his ball. Out here he could hear breezes in the treetops and pokémon out and about. They saw a few and even got attacked once or twice by mankey and even a bayleef. The second scared Tyler a little after what had just happened fighting Ray's meganium, but he was able to beat the bayleef without too much trouble. This must be where they came from.

Suddenly Claire stopped and pointed. "Look, Vaporeon!" she said excitedly. Tyler wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking at until what he'd taken to be a tree turned its head to look at them. "That's a tropius! Vaporeon, Water Gun!" _All right, so it's some kind of grass pokémon, I guess._ Tyler took aim and blasted it. The tropius turned and lumbered out of the undergrowth, coming toward them. It was huge, standing well over Claire's height with a massive body. Giant leaves were folded on its back. _Yep, grass pokémon_. It charged, rearing back to stomp on him. "Back, Vaporeon! Use Aqua Tail!" Claire ordered. Tyler dodged its crashing legs and swept a wave across it, making the tropius stagger. In response, the tropius spread its giant leaves out, lifting into the air with a huge _THRUM_. It was coming right for him again, so Tyler did another dodge that put him behind his opponent as it landed with a frustrated bellow. "Water Gun again! Go for its head!" Claire called. Tyler complied and managed to get a stream of water between the tropius's leaves, hitting it squarely in the back of the head.

His opponent bellowed and turned, trying to hit him again. Tyler kept evading his opponent's attacks and returning fire with water blasts, slowly wearing it down. When he had a moment to breathe, Tyler shook his head. _It should be using more grass attacks. They'd work better against me. Not that I'm complaining…_ As he thought this, a question occurred to him. _What about my ice beam? It'd work a lot better against a grass pokémon than trying to take it down with water blasts_. He got a burst of ice energy ready, sending mist puffing out of his mouth. Claire held out a hand palm down. "Not yet, Vaporeon. Keep wearing it down." _Okay, so there's a plan_. Tyler released the ice energy again and nodded.

He kept up his water assault, keeping clear of the tropius as it got more frustrated and started hurling giant razor leaves his way. They weren't too hard to dodge, but Tyler didn't want to get hit by one like that—they were bigger than any razor leaf attack he'd ever seen. "Stay still, you little…" it shouted. _Nope_ , Tyler thought. _Not a chance_.

Finally the tropius lifted into the air again. Tyler dodged as it came at him, but instead of plowing into the ground like before it rose higher, headed away into the trees. "All right, Vaporeon. Ice Beam now. Not too hard, go for the wings." _All right. This fight's not over yet_. Tyler launched an ice beam and the tropius crashed to the ground again, righting itself unsteadily and heaving for breath. "Great shot, Vaporeon!" Claire called. He charged forward, hearing Claire's steps behind him. This hadn't been a bad fight. Tyler was getting ready for another attack when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. A small shape arced through the air; by the time Tyler recognized it for what it was the ball had sucked the tropius inside.

"No!" Tyler whirled in shock, staring at his trainer. Her eyes were still fixed on the ball, and he reluctantly turned back. It rocked a few times from impacts inside, though each seemed weaker than the last. Tyler gritted his teeth in sympathy, remembering his futile attempts to break his own ball. _It's not going to escape. I beat it too hard for that. I just…_

 _I just helped catch another pokémon_.

"Great job, Vaporeon!" Claire said. "We got it!" She walked over and collected the ball, which had stilled, before turning back to him. Tyler couldn't meet her eyes. "Vaporeon…are you okay?" He shook his head and looked away again. "Listen. I have to take care of this tropius first, all right?" After a few seconds, Tyler found himself back in his ball. It had been a long time since he'd looked at it as a prison.

 _I wanted to think Claire was special,_ Tyler thought. _The rest of the team likes her—I like her. Even with me I know she was trying to help because I was hurt. I…didn't think she caught pokémon_. That was stupid, Tyler knew; Miranda and Olive had both been captured before he'd met Claire. _Still, it never seemed…Serious. Real. I don't know._ Tyler's thoughts took another turn _. I never thought it would happen like this. I always tried to keep safe from Catchers. Now I'm helping one. What if the tropius has a family? Like me? They'll never see him again, and it's my fault._ _ **Our**_ _fault_. Tyler's thoughts went back to Claire. It hadn't been his idea to catch the tropius, it had been hers. He hadn't realized what had been going on until it was too late. _She's just like them. The ones I used to hide from. Claire is a Catcher_.

She sent him out a few minutes later. "Vaporeon?" Tyler refused to look at her. "Vaporeon, is everything all right?"

"No." Tyler turned away. "You're a Catcher, just like all the others. But you can't even understand me, so it doesn't matter what I say." After a few moments, there was a half-expected touch of Claire's hand on his shoulders. Tyler got up, walked a few steps away and sat down again, still facing away from the girl. Tears welled up in his eyes, but Tyler absorbed them as soon as they touched his face. _No. I don't care how she feels. She deserves it_. After another minute Tyler heard Claire sigh, and then she put him back in his ball. She left him there until later in the afternoon.

When he was sent out again, Tyler felt a moment of recognition. All of them were there, including the tropius. Tyler looked him over. All of the injuries Tyler had given him were healed or healing, and he didn't look worried like Tyler had been.

"Hi," Leo began. "What's your name?"

"Alan," the tropius replied. "What about yours?"

"Leo." The typhlosion looked over at Miranda, and each of them gave their names. Tyler didn't trust himself to be able to say anything else, so he looked down as he spoke.

"Well, Alan, welcome to our team."

"Thanks, I guess. If you're all as strong as Tyler there, I guess I'll be learning a lot."

Tyler glanced up for a moment at the mention of his name. "…Alan…I'm so sorry. I didn't know Claire wanted to catch you. I should have…" He looked down again, conscious of everyone staring at him. There was a long silence.

"Listen…Tyler…It's all right. I always sort of knew I'd be captured one day. It's not the end of the world or anything." Alan paused. "And…Claire…she seems all right, as Catchers go." Tyler hung his head, trying to hide how he was gritting his teeth. _That's how I used to feel. I don't know if I can trust her anymore_.

"Did you, you know, leave anyone behind?" Tyler had to know.

He heard the tropius sigh. "Not really. I had a good friend, but he was captured almost a year ago." He shook his green head. "This is where I am now. I'm not saying I'm that happy about it, but I'm here and that's all that really matters. If it makes you feel any better, I'm looking forward to training with you." Tyler just hung his head again.

"What's gotten into you, Tyler?" Leo asked.

He turned to the typhlosion. "I don't like catching pokémon, okay? That's how I got out here—Catchers took my family. I still don't know where most of them are. Now Claire wants _me_ to help her catch more of us." Tyler closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. "I wanted to think she was different. I thought—I believed—that we were more than just tools to her. Training helps us get stronger as much as it helps her. But this—it doesn't."

Miranda opened her mouth. "Don't you start, Miranda," the vaporeon warned. "I don't feel like listening to why it's not as bad as I think."

The flaaffy shocked him. Hard. She stood over where he lay curled on the ground, gasping for breath. "Get over yourself, Tyler. We've all heard how trainers caught your family. It doesn't make you the center of everything. It's part of life, stop whining—"

That was as far as she got before disappearing in a white flash. "What is _wrong_ with all of you tonight?" Claire demanded. It was the first time Tyler had actually seen the girl get angry. "You're supposed to be meeting a new teammate. Can't you do that without starting a fight?" Her fingers tightened around Miranda's ball. "I guess I can't trust either of you together." She paused and sighed, passing her free hand over her eyes before reaching down for Tyler's ball. "Take some time to cool off, Vaporeon. I'll see you tomorrow. Flaaffy is gonna hear about this too." With that she returned him to his ball.

* * *

 _October 4_

 _I'm worried. I finally found a fifth team member, a tropius. I had Vaporeon out to wear him down. Everything went perfectly until I actually caught it. Now Vaporeon's acting like he hates me and he's getting on everyone else's nerves too. Flaaffy actually used a Spark attack on him. Long story short, they're both in their balls for the night and I'm trying to figure out how a great day came crashing down so fast and what to do about it. I just wish I knew more about what's eating Vaporeon. Every time I think I have him figured out, he does something else._

 _Well, it's going to be a lonely night with just Typhlosion and Murkrow. Luckily Tropius seems like he'll fit in okay, apart from Vaporeon. I seriously do not get that pokémon sometimes._

 _All right, write about something else. We're getting close to the coast now. It's getting warmer again. Both of those are good. The coat I got can go back in my bag for a little while longer._

 _Ugh, can't think about anything else right now. That's all for the night. I just want to get to sleep._

* * *

Claire sent him out the next morning. Everything was already packed up and none of her other pokémon were out. She looked at him for a moment and sighed. "Here's your breakfast, Vaporeon. Sorry no one else is out, but until I figure out what's going on I can't risk you starting another fight."

Tyler approached her and the food she'd put out, head down and tail dragging. She watched him eat for a minute before sighing again. Her hand came down and started stroking his back. "I do care about you, Vaporeon. I care about all of you. My biggest concern is keeping everyone safe. I just…I wish you could talk to me."

"I wish I could too." Tyler looked up at the trainer for a moment. "If you knew what I'd been through, you wouldn't ask me to catch pokémon. Maybe you wouldn't have even caught me. Or maybe you would. I don't know anymore." He looked down again for a moment before continuing. "I still keep hoping I'm wrong about you." Claire didn't say anything else, but she kept stroking his back until he finished eating.

He was sent out twice that day for battles, both times with other trainers. Tyler did what Claire said and won both times, but he didn't feel any of the usual enthusiasm for training. Claire sent him out that night with Miranda to set up the camp and eat. "Flaaffy, Vaporeon. Best behavior, you understand?" They both nodded, and then Claire sent out Leo, Olive, and Alan. She glanced back at Tyler and Miranda for a moment, but didn't say anything.

Once they had everything ready, Tyler went back over to Miranda. "I'm sorry about last night."

She shook her head. "You're not the only one who gets self-centered around here. I shouldn't have attacked you. I know you don't like the idea of catching pokémon. I'm not like Olive—or Alan. Leo had to convince me to give Claire a chance too. He told me I'd get to train a lot and get way stronger, and that was enough for me. But I know not all of us are like that. So…sorry."

Tyler nodded thanks before padding over to talk to Alan. The tropius had helped Leo bring back wood, so they had a bigger fire than usual. "Are you all right?"

Alan nodded. "No permanent damage. I feel fine now. Catcher— _trainer_ , sorry—medicines work really well."

"As long as you're okay, I guess." Tyler didn't know what else to say, so he hesitated for a moment before finding his own place by the fire. He didn't go close to Claire, though he could feel her eyes on him. _What am I supposed to do?_ He still didn't have an answer when the fire burned low and he curled up to sleep.


	32. Picking Up the Pieces

The next day went more or less the same, but Claire didn't keep Tyler in his ball the whole time. He got to help put things away and make sure the fire was completely out before they left the place they'd camped for the night. She sent him out for a trainer battle in the morning and then in the afternoon to walk with her. They encountered several wild pokémon, but Tyler refused to fight them. _I'm not going to be part of another capture_. A golem actually attacked them, but even though he had an advantage with his water attacks Tyler still held back as much as he could, taking several nasty hits in the process. He half wondered if Claire would just take him out of the fight, but she didn't. "Vaporeon, you don't have to do this," Claire called. "I'm not going to try to catch it. Please. You're getting hurt."

"I'm fine." Tyler said the words aloud, leaping out of the way as the golem came thundering toward him again in a ball. _Please,_ he added silently, _just leave us alone. You're safer that way_. It didn't give up attacking him, though, so Tyler was forced to start retaliating before things got serious. He started firing water blasts at the cracks in the golem's rocky body whenever it stopped moving. Claire called for him to hit it with an ice beam, but he ignored her. _I can't overdo it_. After one especially powerful blast rocked the golem back, it gave up and headed away from them. Tyler took a step back, refusing to follow. Claire just looked at him and sighed.

They got into another town the next day. The terrain had changed again to an expanse of hills. Instead of pressing straight on that day like they had the last few times, Claire stopped there even though it was before noon. Claire let them out for the night in another pokécenter room, but Tyler noticed that she didn't go to sleep for a while.

* * *

 _October 7_

 _Vaporeon is still acting off. He'll fight other trainers, but any time I send him out to train against wild pokémon he acts scared that I'll try to capture them. He's still acting weird around me when we're not battling too. I wish I knew what happened to him before I found him out there. I've been looking stuff up about how he's been behaving. All the signs I've seen point to abuse, except that he was completely wild when I got him. Still, that gives me a few ideas for how to handle things. Hopefully they help._

 _Tropius is adjusting pretty well. He took to me a lot faster than either Flaaffy or Vaporeon did, kind of like Murkrow. I'm trying to teach him to be a little more strategic than just charging at things. Right now he's not too well suited to fighting anything fast, but those giant razor leaves are going to come in handy against heavy pokémon like gyarados that'll probably be in the water gym. I'm trying to introduce him to more energy attacks and work on his aerial maneuverability. He can make pretty sharp turns when he wants to, he just needs to start thinking ahead. It'll make him a much harder target and let him go toe-to-toe with bird pokémon in the air since, let's face it, very few things that fly can match his bulk. His wings are so big he can already lift me pretty easily._

 _Everyone else is doing well. Not a lot left to do with Flaaffy until she evolves. She and Typhlosion just need to keep refining their technique. They're both pretty formidable. Murkrow isn't ever going to be like that, but she's turning into a regular little ninja. Her Night Shade is even strong enough to give her cover during the day now, and she's_ _ **fast**_ _. I sent her out against a haunter the other day and it was no contest at all._

 _Anyway, I'm going to take a breather in this town for a few days. It'll be good for the team to focus on learning new moves and getting them down right, and it'll be good for me to do that without the pressure to keep moving all the time. I think it might do Vaporeon some good to go a few days without stressing over any battles or me catching pokémon too. I've also been keeping an eye on Flaaffy, but she hasn't seemed especially aggressive or done anything out of the ordinary since I had to shut her in her ball for the night. I think that was just a fluke. Thank goodness._

* * *

Claire let them all out in another park that morning. "Hey guys," she announced, "I feel like I've been pushing everybody pretty hard lately to get down here. We're gonna stay here for a little while and just work on some things. No battling for a while. Typhlosion, Flaaffy, don't give me that look. There'll be plenty to do when we challenge the gym down here. Tropius, Vaporeon, come with me. The rest of you can just enjoy the morning, okay?"

 _What's this?_ Tyler wondered as he and the tropius followed the girl to an open space. "Okay, what we're working on here is Tropius's agility. Tropius, you get in the air, and Vaporeon, I want you to shoot water at him. Not hard," she added hastily as Tyler gave her a look, "just to give him something to dodge. It's just some training, nothing serious."

"What did she say?" Alan asked.

Tyler sighed. "She wants you to dodge my water attacks."

"You mean, while I'm flying?"

Tyler nodded. "I'll be careful."

"Don't worry," Alan said. "I'll be fine. I can take a little water. Let's just get started. You don't have to treat me like I'll break." He stopped and gave Tyler another look, noting the vaporeon's expression. "Getting captured happens. You don't have to keep feeling guilty over it, I'm fine. And it's going to be kind of weird training with you if you're always going to act this way around me."

That made Tyler think for a moment. "Sorry." He gave his head a quick shake. "Well then…let's go."

"So just fly around and dodge, right?"

"I think so. She said she wants you to work on agility."

Alan nodded and lifted into the air while Tyler turned and ran back a few steps. "Okay," he called, "ready?"

The tropius cracked a grin. "Stop talking and get on with it already!"

 _Okay._ Tyler took a deep breath. _Not too hard_. He launched a stream of water, but it arced down and missed Alan entirely. "Come on! Like you mean it!" the tropius admonished. _Okay, fine._ Tyler spat a quick burst of water, hoping it would be short enough to be all right. It caught Alan right in the face, and the tropius spluttered and lost altitude.

Claire chuckled. "Should've warned you, Tropius, Vaporeon's really good at getting people in the face."

The tropius recovered, pumping his wings to get higher. "Okay, I wasn't ready for that one. Good shot." He settled in the air, eyes fixed on Tyler. "But it's not going to happen again."

"Oh?" Tyler fired another quick burst. Alan dropped suddenly and it passed over him. Suddenly feeling a little competitive, Tyler spat two more bursts of water, catching Alan with the second as the tropius dropped too low to maneuver any more. Grumbling, Alan hit the ground and launched upward again, and the game was on. Tyler fired burst after burst of water, catching the tropius most of the time.

"Slow down, Vaporeon," Claire cautioned. "This is training and it's Tropius's first time, so don't shoot so fast he can't dodge them. Start off a little easier." _Right_. Tyler nodded to the trainer and started firing one blast at a time, waiting for Alan to recover between dodges. Alan got a little more confident as they continued, so Tyler slowly started increasing the speed.

After a while he ran out of water. "Okay, that's enough," Claire said. "Sorry Vaporeon, I forgot. I was gonna have you work on something else, but there isn't much water around here. It'll have to wait." She sent them away and called Miranda over next, so they spent some time enjoying the sun and the grass. Alan especially seemed to like it; he stood straight, spreading the wing-leaves on his back to catch as much sunlight as possible. Tyler remembered how Mother would do the same thing when they were growing up. _I miss her_. He closed his eyes and pictured the leafeon's smile for a minute. _I wonder where Mother is. I hope she's all right. It's been so long since I've seen her_. Was she still in one of those cells like Kara and Carson had been? Or was she gone—like Skylar? _I wonder if she and Father are still together. I hope they didn't split them up_.

No one really seemed to notice that Tyler had gotten lost in thought. After a while, Claire came back and put them all back in their balls. "Are you all right, Vaporeon?" she asked before getting to him. There was a soft thump as the girl sat down by him in the grass. "I'm sorry about Tropius. I didn't know you'd feel that way about me catching him. Sorry I didn't bring it up sooner, either. I wasn't sure what to do with you for a while." Tyler looked up to see that Claire was staring out across the grass. "Relationships can be funny like that sometimes. I think half the time my dad didn't know what to do with me either. Now that he's not around, I want him to be proud of me. But I didn't care before."

She sighed. "Sorry, I'm rambling. What I wanted to talk about is you. I don't know what you were doing before I caught you, but I can tell someone hurt you. It was more than just that one time, wasn't it?

"I never want to do anything to hurt any of my team. I've been thinking about things and I wanted to promise you something. I know you don't like it, so I won't ask you to help catch any more pokémon, okay?" Tyler looked at her for a minute before giving a hesitant nod. She reached out and rubbed his neck. "All right, let's get back and get you some water."

She took them back to the pokémon center, letting Tyler go to the bathroom alone once they arrived. He'd learned to turn the levers on the wall to start the water flowing, so Tyler pulled both the hot and cold water all the way open and sat under the stream, absorbing the water as it streamed over his fins and down his body. He started to relax a little as his reserves refilled.

Tyler could absorb far more water now than before, so it took a long time to soak up enough from the bathroom faucets. The vaporeon used the time to think. Claire had told him she wouldn't have him catch any more pokémon. After thinking about it for a few minutes, Tyler decided he believed her. _That doesn't mean she'll stop though. Just that she'll catch them without me. I guess that's better, but…it still means she'll attack them—us—and take us away from our homes. But then…I don't think she understands that. Maybe none of them do_. Tyler hung his head, wishing everything could be simpler, that all he had to worry about was training and getting stronger. Maybe that he'd never met Claire at all, though he realized it was hard to imagine what his life would be like without her. He'd learned so much so fast over the last month and done more training than he ever had before. If he could go back to that day and stay wild… _I don't know what would happen. Maybe I wouldn't have been ready for the next trainer anyway_.

Once Tyler had absorbed all the water he could hold, he turned the water back off and headed back to the room Claire had taken for the day, only to find it empty. He started looking around some of the main areas and found Claire on the way back. "Oh, there you are, Vaporeon. I was wondering when you'd be done. Everyone else already ate, so I just went to get Murkrow checked while I was waiting. We're going to train again this afternoon. I was thinking of putting the food in your pokéball so you can just eat on the way. I don't want to lose any time, there was something I was hoping to teach you today." With that she pulled a paper bag from under her arm and tucked it between Tyler's paws before stepping back and putting him back in his ball. He ate, vaguely wondering what had her in such a hurry.

She let him out in the park again. "All right, Vaporeon, here's what we're going to be working on. You probably didn't know, but there's another level to your Water Gun attack. It's called Hydro Pump, and I think you're ready to learn it." Tyler pricked his fins up. This was new.

"According to this," Claire said, tablet in her lap, "you have to do it as sort of a surge. Like a hard _push_ -" she pantomimed a shove in the air "-all at once. But then keep it going. If you can do it right, it's a _lot_ more powerful."

Tyler spent the next hour trying to figure out the move, with little success. He tried building up power like he had to for the ice beam he'd learned, tried doing it faster, tried throwing all the power he could into his normal water blasts, but it didn't seem to do anything special. Claire occasionally offered comments or suggestions, but eventually they both gave up. "It's okay, Vaporeon," Claire consoled. "You don't have to get it the first day. I just wish I could be more help, but I guess there's only so much I can explain since I'm just a trainer, not a pokémon." She rubbed his neck. "I'll do my best, though." There was a long pause. "I hope one day I can earn your trust again."

That caught Tyler off guard. He'd thought the trainer girl had just been talking about moves, but the realization of what she'd just said threw another knot into his tangled feelings, and he bowed his head. _She does care about me. That part was real. But that…it still doesn't make her special. Or right. Does it?_

The debate in his head went on long after she put him back in his ball, even after they all ate and Claire went to sleep. Tyler lay in a circle on the soft floor with his tailfin over his eyes, but sleep evaded him.

Tyler kept working on this new Hydro Pump move for the next few days, but something important was still out of reach. _It's like when I was trying to control water the first time. I can tell there's something missing, something I_ _ **should**_ _know, but I don't know what it is_. It was frustrating. When he wasn't racking his brain and his powers over trying to learn that, Tyler watched Claire closely, still trying to decide whether he liked her or trusted her or not. Part of him wanted to.

Alan seemed to be doing well there. He mostly seemed happy about what he was learning. Tyler sometimes wished he had as few worries about life as the tropius did. Leo and especially Miranda, on the other hand, seemed to be getting bored of training in another small town. They perked up considerably when Claire announced that they were leaving to head to the gym on the coast. Tyler did too, because he really wanted to see what an ocean was like.

It was a short journey there, lasting only two days. The times Tyler was sent out to battle, he noticed that there was starting to be a constant breeze. That had to mean they were getting close. Claire only had him fight wild pokémon a few times; he was still worried that she might catch one, so he held back more than he would have normally. She never did, though, and Tyler breathed a quiet sigh of relief as they left the wild behind again and entered the city.

Tyler's first impression was of tall, white buildings. They stretched so far into the sky he had to crane his head back to see the tops. _Wow. Those are big_. There was another feeling at the edge of his consciousness; it wasn't until Claire put him back in his ball and it went away that Tyler realized it must be the ocean. _It's out there. We're close. I hope we get to see it soon_.

The first place Claire went, though, was a restaurant. It was relaxing to have cushions and things to lay on while they ate, even though the food wasn't as good as the other one. Tyler did get another piece of fish, though.

Their next stop was the gym. Claire stopped outside the entrance and spent some time talking to a man about what was inside while the rest of them waited. The plaza in front of the gym had several water fountains, and the building itself was painted in sky blue, white, and tan. It seemed larger than the other one. Tyler got bored of looking around after a minute and turned back in the direction of the water he sensed out there.

Claire took them to the pokécenter next and put them in the healing machine; when Tyler was next sent out he finally found himself on a sandy beach with water lapping just a few feet away. He instinctively turned toward it. "Not now, Vaporeon," Claire said. "Come on." He turned back to see a man with a large, purple star-shaped pokémon—at least, that's what Tyler was pretty sure it was—floating next to him. _Right. I'm in a battle_. Tyler felt bad for getting distracted.

The fight started off pretty normally, with Tyler firing water blasts and keeping his distance. His opponent started retaliating with pulsating beams from the red crystal in its center. Tyler managed to dodge a few of them, but they didn't hurt him much. _Neither of us are getting anywhere here_. Then the other trainer called something else and his opponent went spinning at him. Tyler threw himself to the sand as it passed right over him. It came to a stop and righted itself, still floating in the air, then came at him again. "Aqua Tail!" Claire called. Tyler pivoted and sent a wall of water sweeping around him, but the pokémon—whatever it was—came right through it and hit him, knocking him back a few feet. "Sorry Vaporeon! Other way! You have to counter its spin!"

Tyler hauled himself to his paws again. He wasn't beaten yet, not by a long shot. _What did she say? Something about going the other way. But why?_ He gave a mental shrug. The next time it came at him, Tyler did another aqua tail attack, spinning a little clumsily in the other direction. The star pokémon hit him again, but this time there wasn't as much force behind the attack, and he managed to keep on his paws. Tyler lunged and caught one of its points, biting down on the rubbery skin to keep it from getting away. It twisted and turned, but he held on until it emanated a wave of water in all directions, sweeping him away. Tyler held the water around himself and started using his gills. He could feel minor pains disappearing as water absorbed into them.

Finally he let the water splash down around him. As soon as he hit air again, he heard Claire calling out. "Vaporeon! Vaporeon!" Before he could do anything else, there was a whir and he threw himself to the side. The star pokémon caught him squarely in the side anyway, sending him rolling across the sand. As he got up, Claire called, "Try using Ice Beam!" Tyler looked over before concentrating his power and opening his mouth. His beam met one of the star pokémon's in midair, but this time it was his that went through and hit, spreading a layer of frost across its front. It just came at him again.

Tyler kept slowly wearing it down until the other trainer called something else out and it started sparkling; Claire made a frustrated noise in her throat and returned Tyler to his ball.

She didn't seem very happy with him at dinner. The girl didn't say anything around the rest of the team, but after she'd returned everyone else to their balls, she said, "Listen, Vaporeon. We've gotta start working together better, like we used to. I'm doing everything I can, but…we could've won that fight. _You_ could've won it. I know you're strong enough. If you don't trust me enough to work together, though, neither of us will be able to do much, and we're gonna lose battles we should've won."

Once he was back in his ball, Tyler let out a sigh. _It's not my fault. She's never had me fight a water pokémon before. That's what Miranda's good at. Or even Alan. Why is it my fault?_ He lay down in one of the caves, almost falling asleep before Claire sent them out for the night in the pokécenter room. With another sigh, the vaporeon rearranged himself on the carpet and closed his eyes again.

They fought a lot of trainers over the next few days. A lot of them seemed to have water pokémon, so maybe that was why he had to fight them. Tyler made more of an effort to follow Claire's orders, and things did go a little better. She rewarded him that afternoon by releasing him out onto the beach. "Here you go, Vaporeon, I figured you wanted to see this. We've got a few hours, so…have fun. I might jump in too in a bit." She gave him an odd look as he nodded and turned away.

He stepped into the water lapping up onto the sand, enjoying the feel as it washed in and out. Once it got deep enough, he pushed off and swam out, keeping along the bottom. The first thing he noticed was a strong salty taste, but It wasn't enough to get him to leave. He ignored it as well as he could, and after a few minutes he barely noticed.

Reaching out with his water sense, Tyler couldn't feel any end to the water. It just went on and on. He picked up speed, racing away from the shore. There were only a few pokémon around; Tyler supposed water pokémon wouldn't stay so close to human towns either. Most of the ones he saw were tentacled masses with red eyes, and he instinctively kept his distance. One turned toward him; after thinking for a moment Tyler dissolved and changed direction, looking back until it gave up. Finally he turned upward and broke the surface, looking over at the land. _I thought it would be more fun here. Or maybe…_ Tyler sighed. The truth was he couldn't just forget what was going on. He wasn't in the mood for "fun."

 _I could leave_. The thought struck Tyler suddenly as he stared across the waves at the buildings in the distance. _This is the ocean, I can go anywhere. Claire can only put me back in the ball if she gets close. I can swim faster than Leo can run. Only Olive would be able to catch up and I can get away from her underwater. None of them can follow me. If I leave now, they might not ever even find me_.

He started thinking about it more seriously. _I can go. I have another chance to find my family. With everything Claire's taught me about fighting, I might be able to do it this time. I know how trainers act now, I can understand what they tell their pokémon. And anyway, as long as Claire's still supposed to "own" me, none of their balls will work to catch me_. Tyler turned back to the open water. _I can be free again. I'd miss Olive and Leo…and even Miranda. Alan too, I guess…_ Tyler paused, feeling guilty again _. But isn't this worth it? I still have to find my family. That's always been the most important thing_.

Something still held him back, though. _Claire. No…I don't owe her anything. I know what she really is. Why do I still care?_ He remembered his last look at her before going into the water, and things fell into place. That look in her eyes…it had been worry. _She knew I might not come back. But she didn't say anything. She just let me go anyway._

 _She's giving me a chance,_ Tyler realized. For the first time since his capture, he had a choice whether to stay or go. Claire didn't just want him for his powers. She really did want him to be happy.

Tears came to Tyler's eyes, and he dove underwater. _I don't want to leave my family again._ Carson and Kara were still out there, he knew. They were free, or at least they had been. _I can't just leave Claire either. I…I do owe her a chance. She's giving me one._ He shook his head. _She's doing her best. Even though she can't understand me. And maybe, one day, she'll let me go find my family_. Tyler wrestled with the question for a long time. He tried to distract himself by exploring the rocks and coral deep down on the bottom, but he kept coming back to the same questions and arguments over and over.

Finally he came to a decision. It was crazy, he knew, but Tyler turned back toward the distant shore. _I never wanted a Catcher. But now here I am, going back to her. I just hope it's the right choice_. He swam slowly, savoring each draft of saltwater across his gills, each eddy on his ruff, wanting to hold on to these last few minutes of being alone, of freedom, for as long as he could. The seafloor got closer and closer until it was right beneath his paws, so Tyler paddled a little further before his body came out of the water and he could walk. He looked around; he was a little way away from where he'd walked into the surf, and he could make out Claire sitting on the beach. The sun was low in the sky; it would be evening soon. He started padding across the sand toward his trainer. _After all this time...who would have known it wasn't just the ball keeping me here?_

Claire didn't notice him at first. She was looking out at the ocean, her eyes scanning the waves. Tyler could tell she hadn't actually gone in the water. She'd waited for him the whole time. _I could still turn back,_ Tyler thought, but he shook his head. _No, I've made my choice. I'm giving Claire another chance_. When he got close, Claire turned and saw him. She looked visibly relieved, and a smile spread across her face. When he reached the girl, she surprised Tyler by pulling him into a hug. "Hey, Vaporeon," she said softly. "I'm glad you came back." Tyler nodded quietly against her arm.

She held him there for a minute before letting go and standing up, brushing sand off her arms and legs. "Thanks, Vaporeon." She pulled his ball out of her bag, then looked at him and put it back. "Actually, let's leave you out for a little while. There was something else I promised you. Come on, Vaporeon." She turned and started walking across the beach, and Tyler followed her. They got back on hard roads again and Tyler paused to shake the suddenly gritty sand off his paws. Claire turned back. "Hey Vaporeon, what did you think of the seawater? Do you like it better than fresh?" The vaporeon took a moment to consider her question, then shook his head. He'd gotten used to the salt, but he still liked clean water best. She nodded and kept going; Tyler ran a few paces to get up next to her, a little confused now.

He followed her to another shop. There were other trainers inside, looking around—Tyler could tell by the balls they wore—and one or two other pokémon, whom he greeted. Claire went right up to the man in front. "Excuse me, can you get me a dive ball? Freshwater?" He agreed and stepped out from behind the counter. Claire and Tyler followed him to a shelf of balls like he'd seen before, where he picked up a blue and white one with wavy markings on it. Claire took it, surprise passing across her face. "Okay, how much?" The man gave her a number and she nodded, following him back to the front to pay for it.

Once they'd left, she turned to Tyler. "Come on, Vaporeon, let's get you to the pokécenter and get this ball registered." They crossed the town to the familiar red building, where Claire went to talk to the nurse. She pulled out Tyler's blue-and-red ball and passed it to the woman along with the one she'd just gotten. Nurse Joy took them both and set them in a machine; a screen above them lit up.

She spent a minute there looking at things, tapping on it, and nodding to herself before taking both balls and passing them back. "All right, your vaporeon is registered to the dive ball now. The great ball is unregistered, so you can use it for something else."

Claire nodded. "I know. Thanks." She turned back to Tyler and pointed the new ball at him. "All right, Vaporeon, you ready?" The ball pulled him in and Tyler's water sense unexpectedly came alive.

He was standing on a small wooded island; as he turned a surprised circle Tyler saw that the rest of the ball was occupied by a still lake. There was another shore at the edge, so the evening sun shone in beams through a few trees. _Is it really?_ Tyler reached out with his powers and kicked up a wave. The water responded exactly as it normally would. _It's not just an imitation like before,_ Tyler thought excitedly. _This ball is really full of water!_ With a happy cry, the vaporeon dashed to the edge of the island and launched himself into the air, hitting the water with a splash and diving straight down at full speed. The water was cool and clear. Tyler pumped up and down with his tailfin, arrowing through the water in a long circle around the edge of the lake. When he'd gone all the way around, he turned inward to the island and traced circles around it, going faster and faster until he got tired. _I can't believe it. I didn't think they had anything like this. A ball with real water in it. Thank you, Claire_.

A little while later, the ball opened, depositing him in a room with the rest of the team. Claire smiled when he came out. "Someone's looking better. Do you like it?" Tyler returned the smile.

"Claire's right," Leo said. "You do look better. I'm glad."

Tyler nodded thanks before responding more seriously. "I've decided…well, Claire gave me the chance to leave today."

"Wait, _what?_ " Leo interjected.

"Yeah. She let me go off into the ocean, didn't try to follow me. It took a long time, but I decided I should give her another chance. So I'm gonna try harder to make things work with her. I know she's doing her best for us." He sighed. "I just hope I never have to catch another pokémon, or anything like that."

"That's good," Olive chirped. She ruffled her feathers. "I would've really missed you."

"So would I," Leo added.

Tyler looked down and nodded. "Me too."

* * *

 _October 13_

 _Things seem better now with Vaporeon. I took a big risk today and let him go out in the ocean. One thing that's becoming clear to me is that I don't want pokémon with me if it's just me making them come along. Or "making" them anything. Having Vaporeon moping around has made everything kind of miserable. There's another one: A trainer is only as happy as their team._

 _Anyway, I let him go swimming in the ocean. I was going to do some things, send out Tropius and maybe Murkrow (Flaaffy and Typhlosion really aren't fans of getting wet) and have some fun, but I just spent the whole afternoon waiting. I was really worried about him. Well, not_ _ **about**_ _him, Vaporeon can take care of himself, but what it meant about me if he decided not to come back. I don't want to be "that" trainer (like the whole fiasco with Blue or whatever his name really is a few years back). Also one of the reasons I'm just going for Master, not Champion. Dad says if you want to be better than everyone else at something, there's no way to do it without giving up something important._

 _Anyway, I'm rambling (but whatever, I guess that's what diaries are for). I guess the point of all of that is that I decided I should let Vaporeon have a choice about staying with me. He was gone for hours, but he finally came back. I don't think I can describe how I felt when I saw him again, so I'm not even going to try._

 _I'm not naïve enough to think that just made everything better, but it's a start. Also I picked up a dive ball for him today. I was looking into things and found out the water landscapes on regular pokéballs don't actually have water, but dive balls do. It's really heavy for a pokéball though. I think he really likes it._

 _So yeah, that's all for today. Hopefully Vaporeon and I are getting through this phase. Hopefully I'll be able to avoid setting him off in the future, now that I know a little more of what's going on in his head. If nothing else, seeing him react to catching a pokémon helped with that._

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Polarissb here. There's going to be a longer break between chapter releases this time. I'll be working on both Chapter 33 (Trust Me) and 34 (Remember), because I want to release them back-to-back. Together they form the conclusion to Part IV and set the stage for the final part of Tyler's Search.**


	33. Trust Me

They spent the next while training for the water gym. Claire said there were a lot of pools of water inside—which made sense—so she told Tyler to make sure he practiced his swimming. He would have anyway; it was going to take a while for the excitement of having all the water he wanted in his ball to wear off, so every morning when she put him back in his ball he would work on different maneuvers underwater, as well as seeing how high out of the water he could jump. He was still practicing turning liquid too; Claire had said there was a way for him to do it almost instantly like his other moves, but it still took time and focus for him.

Leo seemed a little depressed for obvious reasons; Tyler supposed if it were electricity he wouldn't be happy either. Miranda on the other hand seemed almost too excited for the challenge. Olive the murkrow was as cheery as ever. Tyler was still helping with Alan; the tropius was getting faster, though he still couldn't dodge everything the vaporeon threw at him. Tyler was starting to get used to having the tropius around, though he still felt a little pang of guilt whenever he remembered catching him. He kept it buried, not wanting to repeat what had happened the night of Alan's capture. Besides, he was trying to give Claire a chance, and that meant not holding a grudge about capturing the tropius.

Once she was satisfied with what Alan had learned, Claire took them to challenge the gym. Tyler didn't get to see the leader, but he took on several of the other trainers. The gym was huge inside, and like Claire had said it was full of pools and troughs of water in different shapes. Tyler got to use them a few times, but they weren't as effective as he was hoping since most of the enemy pokémon swam too. Another problem was that if Tyler went underwater he couldn't hear Claire anymore, so he only got to do it twice. The fights went on longer than he was used to, but Tyler was able to outlast each of his opponents with his healing. Having a dive ball made it easier than ever to heal between fights too.

After the gym battle they had another celebration, though it wasn't as exciting as the last one. Miranda and Alan especially seemed proud of themselves, and Tyler found out the tropius had beaten the leader's lapras. "He almost had me," the tropius confided to Tyler. "He kept using ice attacks, I don't think I would've won without all the practice I had with you. I couldn't fly at the end, but I won."

After that they headed north again. Winter was coming now, and every now and again it would be snowing when Claire sent Tyler out. The cold didn't affect him as much as he'd worried about when he'd evolved and lost his fur, but it was still uncomfortable. Claire wore a lot more now, and Tyler secretly wished he could too, although at the same time he just couldn't picture himself with human clothes.

At the next town Claire found Tyler and Miranda new TMs. Miranda's was an even stronger lightning attack, which Tyler wasn't sure she needed. For him, Claire got one with a move called Scald. It was basically the opposite of Ice Beam and it was supposed to let him spit boiling water. The first time he got to that part though, Tyler burned his throat with the hot water and left the training ball with a painful cough that took days to go away. Even using normal water moves hurt. Tyler choked down just enough food to get by and didn't even try drinking, just absorbing what he needed through his skin and trying not to breathe too deeply. Claire never pulled out that TM again.

The next gym was on a mountain that had streams of molten rock—Leo called it a volcano. While they were in the town preparing for the battle, Claire showed them the hot springs, pools of water that were somehow warm despite how cold the air was now. The water had a strange taste to it, but Tyler didn't mind much when the water was so warm. He knew he was going to play a big part in facing this gym, since it was all fire and rock pokémon, which Tyler had the best advantage against on the team.

One morning, Tyler's suspicions were confirmed when Claire told him she had a new move for him to work on. "This one is called Waterfall. Because, um, if you're _really_ good, you're supposed to be able to swim up one with this move. Cool, right, Vaporeon?" That was enough to get Tyler's interest. "Okay, here's how it goes. You'll have to be surrounded with water. It's best if you have a bunch around you like a pool, but in a pinch you should be able to do it with your own, kinda like Aqua Ring. Or Aqua Tail, that one's pretty similar."

She took him to the hot springs to practice. "All right. So for this one you're gonna have to launch yourself like a rocket. Have you seen a rocket? No, probably not. Anyway. It's kind of like jumping out of the water, but you have to pull all the water along with you. Basically you're combining everything you know."

With that, Tyler started practicing. He would go down to the bottom and pull a current around himself before shooting back up to the surface and into the air with a huge splash. He got above Claire's head, but she didn't seem satisfied. "That's not quite it, Vaporeon. It's not just about going fast. You need to _hit_ with all the water, like, well, like a rocket. It's not so much about building up speed as it is launching with your power." He worked on it for a little while longer, but he still wasn't able to do whatever it was Claire was looking for.

Back in his ball, Tyler started pacing back and forth on his island. _This isn't going to be like Hydro Pump_. He still didn't have that move down. _But there's something…I know there was something that should help with this. Something I used to know…_ He started thinking over what Claire had suggested and the moves he knew. _Wait…there were some that I used to use when I was an eevee. Maybe that's it. They don't work the same now, but I had a move to go faster. And to hit harder. And to launch…Wait._ _ **That's**_ _the word Claire was using_. Tyler thought back to that move, his "third ability" as he'd called it before. The last time he'd tried to use it was when he was with Zahna, trying to learn how to liquefy. The vaporeon closed his eyes, focusing on the memory. _There was something wrong with that one when I tried to use it after I evolved. It wasn't gone, but there was something missing, I could feel it. Maybe it was because I wasn't in the water?_ Tyler grew excited. _What if they're the same move!_

He plunged back into the water and drifted for a minute, trying to remember the feel of that move and how he'd used it before. It had been…a rush, launching him forward—it hadn't mattered if he could move or not. _That's what I need now_. Tyler focused on his memories, trying to capture that feeling again. It took him a few tries to remember it right, but then something clicked. He felt a pull all around him that sent him surging forward in a sudden current. He could already do something like that, but this one happened all at once. _That's it!_ Tyler turned back toward the surface. _Okay, this time for real_. He stopped a few feet down and pointed upward, focusing all the power he could into the same move.

The vaporeon exploded out of the lake in a column of water, rising high enough to see over the small island for a moment. It surprised him, and he flailed a little in the air before splashing back down. He took a few moments to settle down underwater before thinking about what had just happened. He was pretty sure that that had been what Claire was looking for. _And that was…powerful. I didn't know I could do something like that_. The move reminded Tyler of one of Leo's attacks where he blasted a column of flame around himself—Tyler was pretty sure it was called Lava Plume. _I've never had any moves nearly as strong as Leo's_. It had always felt like the typhlosion was on a different level.

Tyler didn't get a chance to demonstrate the new move to Claire until the next day, when she sent him out at the hot spring to work on it some more. This time, Tyler knew what to do. He got into position where he wouldn't splash anyone too much and blasted out of the water in another burst. He had to resurface afterward before he heard Claire's response, but the look on her face said it all. "That's it, Vaporeon!" She wasn't done with him yet; Claire spent the next minute explaining how he should be able to make the attack continue in a stream instead of being just one burst to get higher and further. He started working on that until Claire said it was time for someone else to train.

The vaporeon continued working on that move for the next few days, mostly in his ball. To his delight, he finally managed to apply the rushing burst of his energy to his water gun attack too, letting him pull off Hydro Pump as well. It was hard to control and aim, but that was because it was so powerful it almost pushed him backward when he used it. Suddenly with those two moves Tyler could challenge opponents who had just been too big and strong before.

As soon as he was comfortable with using those two moves, Claire challenged the fire gym. It had a lot of dark metal decoration, with grated barriers all around that could be used to hide from physical attacks, but fire went right through them. Claire sent him out for almost every fight, but she had him hold back his big attacks until they finally faced the leader. Tyler took advantage of the time between fights to heal his cuts and burns in the lake, so when they challenged the leader he was ready to go.

When Tyler was sent out, he could tell the battle was already on. His first opponent Claire identified as a magmar. It spat globs of molten rock instead of fire, which caught him by surprise and almost gave him a bad burn right at the beginning, but he was able to sweep it off by releasing water through his skin all at once. Claire had him wear it down for a minute, using Aqua Tail to stop its attacks and quick bursts of water to keep it off balance. It fought back with burning fists, but they weren't nearly as effective as its lava blasts. Once there was enough water on the ground, Claire had him use Waterfall horizontally, carrying the magmar backwards off its feet and slamming it against one of the gratings. That was enough to finish the fight, so Tyler let the water around him slide to the ground except what he needed for where he'd gotten hit.

He had a few seconds to rest while the leader changed pokémon. Tyler's next opponent was a houndoom. The leader didn't have him use any fire moves at all, instead sending him to attack Tyler head-on. Claire quickly called out a strategy, and Tyler kept out of the houndoom's grasp by sliding in and out of the water he already had and stopping it from following with more Aqua Tail attacks. On the leader's orders, it stopped and let loose with a black wave of power. Tyler felt a chill of fear right before it washed over him in a surge of anger and pain. Tyler gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, hoping not to be overwhelmed. It was over in a moment, and he exhaled in relief. Zahna's dark pulse had been far worse. He felt a momentary pang of sympathy for the umbreon; he knew that the power in her attack came from everything she had gone through. A houndoom raised by a trainer couldn't know that kind of hurt.

While Tyler was shaking the pulse off, the houndoom finally got in close and seized the smaller pokémon's neck in his jaws. Tyler felt teeth close around his neck, but his frill kept them from breaking his skin. He gasped as the jaws tightened, then the houndoom dragged him off his paws and threw him to the ground, teeth ripping through the vaporeon's frill.

Tyler rolled to his paws again, trying to ignore the pain in his neck. Right now the important thing was keeping it from happening again. He instinctively reached out to the water around him, ready to knock it aside with Aqua Tail the next time it rushed him. Claire had other ideas. "Vaporeon, it's time! Hydro Pump!" Tyler inhaled and set his paws, bracing for the rushing stream of power. The blast of water rocked him back, but he kept steady enough to see his attack blast the houndoom right off its paws. _Perfect_. Tyler charged in and took it down with another Aqua Tail as it was climbing to its paws again. As soon as he was sure it was done, Tyler released more water to heal with.

The switch was faster this time; another ball came arcing out and released a ninetales. Tyler was immediately worried; he'd seen ninetales fight before. Claire seemed less so. "Vaporeon, Hydro Pump!" Tyler quickly got the attack ready. Neither the ninetales nor the gym leader had done anything yet. He sent another blast of water at the ninetales; as he'd half expected, it split three ways, escaping his move untouched. This was what he'd been worried about. All three came charging at him from different angles, forcing the vaporeon to back off. "Aqua Tail!" Claire ordered. "Get them all at once!" The leader finally gave an order as well, for some attack Tyler had never heard of. As the three ninetales copies closed in, Tyler swept a wall of water around him. All three leaned back out of the way, and as Tyler finished his turn the one on the right spat a ball of liquid blue flame at him. All Tyler could do was turn and duck his head as it scorched his neck and shoulder. He sucked in a pained breath through gritted teeth.

"Quick, Vaporeon, Water Gun! The one on the right!" Tyler spat a stream of water at it, but to his dismay the attack passed right through. It was just a copy. Covering his surprise, Tyler continued his attack and the water splashed off the one in the middle. It was ready for him, and the water didn't do much. The ninetales on the left lunged at him, catching him off guard. Right before reaching him it vanished.

As Tyler turned his attention back to the middle, he saw one ninetales break left and two break right. "Aqua Tail again! Get the two together!" _It's not going to work_. Tyler attacked anyway, but the water passed harmlessly through the two copies. He turned back to the third, but it had already gotten behind one of the gratings.

"Aurora Beam!" Tyler nodded; apart from Water Gun it was the fastest move he had. In one smooth action, the vaporeon formed and released the rainbow light. It hit the grating and splintered, forcing Tyler to avert his eyes. A plume of flame followed it through, leaving a few more burns on his head and forelegs. Before he could recover, the ninetales came right at him. He instinctively spat another burst of water, but it passed through again. He caught the real ninetales out of the corner of his eye as it came around the barrier, firing a familiar-looking purple ball that set the world spinning. Tyler tensed up, knowing he would fall if he tried to move.

"Hydro Pump, on your left!" Tyler didn't think it would work, but he slowly turned his head, struggling to hold the rest of his body still. Before he could do anything else, the ninetales hit, throwing off his balance. He staggered two steps before falling on his side. Tyler cried out as hard floor found his burns. The ninetales didn't give him a chance to get up, exhaling a long stream of fire that seemed to sap Tyler's strength as well as burning him. When it stopped, Tyler was left panting on the ground, and a few moments later Claire put him back in the ball.

Tyler slid himself into the water with the last of his strength and just drifted for a while. His injuries started slowly repairing themselves as they absorbed water. With a moment of concentration, Tyler dissolved the rest of his body as well. _I guess that didn't go too bad. I beat two of his pokémon. Everything just fell apart against the ninetales. Claire didn't know how to deal with it._ He paused, realizing he wasn't being fair to the girl. _I guess I didn't either_. Still, though, it seemed like each order had made things worse by making him lose track of the ninetales over and over again. Claire hadn't been able to follow its movements from a distance either.

Tyler silently shook his head. He knew he shouldn't be so critical of Claire. He'd known the ninetales would be a tough opponent the moment it came out. Still, it sometimes felt unfair that he was the one fighting and getting hurt.

That feeling sharpened when Claire sent him out again. Without the water in his ball, Tyler reformed partially healed, and the pain came back all at once. "Hey, Vaporeon. Let's take a look at you." She sprayed him down with a burn medicine before running her fingers gently over the rips in his frill. "We'll need to get those taken care of. You did great out there though."

She took them back to get healed at the pokécenter. Tyler stayed in the water in his ball, trying to take advantage of both at once. The nurse got Tyler out to patch his ruff, putting something there to hold the torn parts together. She told him to wait a day before trying to heal them on his own—apparently the edges had to join a little first. After a while, Claire sent them all out again. Most of the attention was on Miranda, who had apparently evolved into an ampharos during the battle with the leader. She now stood as tall as Claire and almost as tall as Leo. Tyler felt a little left out considering how many of the gym's pokémon he'd beaten.

They didn't have much of a celebration the next day either. Claire took them to another café, but that was all. "All right team, this is it," she told them seriously. "Seven badges down. One to go. After that we can challenge the League. I'm so proud of you all and everything you've learned, and I couldn't ask for a better team of pokémon."

They trained for another month, slowly making their way to the city where the final gym waited. It was across the ocean somewhere, so they ended up on a giant object called a ship that seemed like a floating building. There was no shortage of chances to train there either, and by the time they landed wherever they were going Tyler felt ready to challenge the gym, though Claire still hadn't told them anything about it.

She spent a lot of time with Miranda, teaching the ampharos some new, different moves that Tyler got to see when they ended up in double battles together. It seemed like she wasn't just focused on electricity anymore, although those moves were stronger than ever. Alan was getting stronger too. He could throw leaves from all four wings at once now and had gotten a lot better at keeping moving during fights. Leo, Tyler, and Olive just kept working at what they already knew.

Once they reached their destination, Claire didn't waste any time. They challenged the gym the next day.

It was a huge cave with crystals embedded in the walls. Some of it looked human-made, but a lot of it was natural, including pools of water here and there. Claire told them that this gym was full of dragon pokémon. Tyler had only seen a few dragons, but they had always been hard to fight. He only remembered winning maybe once against one. Suddenly he wasn't so sure about this gym.

After letting them look from the entrance for a minute, Claire pulled out their balls. "All right everyone." The girl took a deep breath. "This is it. We're challenging _the last gym_."

* * *

 _December 2_

 _We've finally reached the island with the eighth gym. Part of me says it's great to be on a tropical island for winter, but honestly I barely think about it. This is the final challenge before I can go to the Pokémon League. I'm closer than ever to becoming a Pokémon Master and actually being able to make a difference in the world. Dad would be proud, but I don't want to write him until I have good news about this gym._

 _Speaking of which, it's dragons. Apparently Aeris, the leader, is super intense; I've heard stories about her sending trainers home after they lose to her. Like_ _ **home**_ _home, "go learn how to be a real trainer." That's not gonna be me. I keep thinking about it, but I know I've done everything I can to prepare myself and my team for this fight. Could they know more moves? Sure. There are still things Tropius, Vaporeon, and even Ampharos and Typhlosion don't know yet. I don't think that's what's gonna make the difference though. It'll be how, and where, and when they use them. If there's ever a fight where I have to do everything perfectly, this is it. I don't think I've been this nervous since my_ _ **first**_ _gym challenge._

 _I'm not the only trainer on the boat who came here to challenge Aeris, but I'm gonna be the first. I'm going in tomorrow. No waiting, no going back. I'm doing this._

* * *

The first few fights weren't so bad. The gym's trainers seemed to have a lot of pokémon of all different kinds. Tyler didn't see any dragons, but he was only out for part of each fight. Claire didn't have him hold back, instead wanting each opponent down before they could do any real damage. Tyler soaked in more water from his lake after each battle even though he knew it wasn't unlimited. He sensed Claire's urgency and he couldn't afford to mess up. Not here.

After too short a time the last trainer was down. Tyler could see the gym leader during the fight, standing on a raised platform and watching them. Claire sent them all out one more time to check them over for injuries; she'd never done that in any of the other gyms. She didn't have much to say, just looking at each of them and taking a tense breath. She exhaled. "Here we go."

* * *

 _Aeris stood at the far side of the platform, a slim, dark-haired woman. Unlike the rest of the cavern, this looked like a normal gym floor. The leader didn't approach, but she called out as Claire stepped slowly into the challenger's square. "What is your name, challenger?"_

 _"Claire."_

 _"What makes you think you're ready?"_

 _Claire swallowed despite her determination. "I have to do this. I've been training for months."_

 _"Have to? Who told you that?"_

 _"I did." Claire's voice grew stronger. "I was never going to be anyone back home. I want to be a Pokémon Master. I want to make a difference in the world."_

 _"Admirable goals." The leader let the words flutter off, looking almost dismissive. "I wonder if you can reach them, though. I've watched you challenge my trainers. You move too fast. I saw fear there. You think everything has to be perfect, don't you? You don't want any of your precious weapons hurt before the_ _ **real**_ _fight." Claire opened her mouth to protest, to say that wasn't how she thought of her pokémon, but Aeris plowed on. "Well, this fight isn't going to come down to perfection. It's going to come down to who can fight their heart out. I assure you, if I had been leader during that Oak boy's challenge, he never would have reached the Elite Four. I see a little of him in you, I think." She stopped and shook her head. "Never mind. We'll find that out the hard way, won't we? As Dragon Leader, I accept your challenge."_

* * *

Tyler waited on his island, trying to keep his breathing slow and steady. He sat down and curled his tail around, keeping one eye on the sky to see when it would start flashing. He waited, and waited. Then the sky pulsed red. Tyler leaped to his paws, coiled tight as a spring. After a few flashes, he found himself on the platform facing the leader.

In front of him stood a gold-scaled dragon. It towered over him, one of the largest pokémon he'd ever seen; even though it didn't look particularly menacing he could feel power radiating from it as it stared down at him. Neither trainer called an attack, but Claire spoke to him, her voice tight. "This is it, Vaporeon. It's just you. We've gotta do this." Tyler's mind whirled. It wasn't the first time he'd been the last pokémon standing on Claire's team, but it had never been for something like this. If Leo and Miranda were both out of the fight…

The leader was saying something; Tyler listened but only caught the last few words, one of which was the name "Dragonite." As she finished, his opponent—the dragonite—bent its knees and put one foreleg down. Tyler reflexively went into a crouch. The leader called an attack, and Claire instantly snapped, "Hydro Pump!" A violet aura surrounded the dragonite as Tyler opened his mouth to fire, but he got his attack off first. The dragonite came plowing through the attack anyway, hitting Tyler and sending him skidding back. As Tyler rolled back onto his paws, the dragonite swooped up to hover in the middle of the battle area. It opened its mouth, throat lit with incandescent power.

"Vaporeon, move!" Tyler was already running before the order came. Normally Claire would only call out an order if she wanted him to do something other than dodge. He narrowly avoided a stream of dragonbreath; it didn't seem too hot, but something still warned him not to get hit by it. "Vaporeon, get water down! You're gonna need it!" Without bothering to acknowledge the order, Tyler spun, spraying water across the platform in all directions.

He dodged a few more dragon blasts before Claire called, "Ice Beam!" He waited until the dragonite had just finished another attack before returning with a blast of cold. The beam hit the dragonite, which screamed. It sounded more angry than anything, but it dropped to the ground, landing heavily. "Good, Vaporeon! Do it again!" Tyler repeated the attack, but this time the dragonite blocked it with golden light.

"Dragon Rush!" the leader called again. The dragonite came hurtling toward him enveloped in another violet aura. This time it followed as the impact threw him back, slashing him three times as he got back up.

"Come on, Vaporeon! Waterfall!" _Right._ Tyler triggered the surge of power and water streamed to him from all directions in a moment. He launched into the dragonite, driving it back and stopping it from clawing him again. There was another pause in the action as the leader addressed Claire.

"A contest of strength, hmmm? Come on. Your vaporeon, my dragonite. Head on. Let's see who's got it."

Determination was stamped across Claire's features. "Come on, Vaporeon. Waterfall. Give it everything you've got." Tyler pulled all the water he could around him; the dragonite opposite him summoned its purple Dragon Rush aura. At a screamed, " _NOW!_ " they both launched at each other.

They met midair in a _crash_ of power; then the dragonite plowed through Tyler's attack again and sent him flying back. He actually bounced, twice, before rolling to a painful stop in front of Claire. She dropped to her knees. "Oh, Vaporeon. I'm so sorry." Tyler saw tears in her brown eyes. "I shouldn't have asked you to do that." At the other side, the leader said something derisive, and Claire stiffened. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "All right then. Stop the fight, I give up. This isn't worth it."

A wall broke in Tyler's heart. _She's giving up the fight…her dream…for me_. Tyler hadn't expected that. He'd thought it would be an all-out fight until he couldn't move anymore, win or lose, but Claire's words sent an unexpected surge of warmth through him, mixed with his worry about the fight. The determined voice in his mind came again. _I'm not letting this gym leader tell Claire she's worthless. She doesn't know Claire like I do. She cares about us. About me. That's…_ Tyler paused, made sure, before finishing the thought. _That's all I need to know._ The words echoed through his mind.

Tyler pushed himself back up onto his paws. Claire had his ball out, and he whipped around to glare at her. "Don't even _think_ about it." She got the message and lowered her hand. Tyler limped forward, back into the ring. After a few moments, he heard Claire's voice, barely above a whisper. "All right, Vaporeon. Do it." He glanced back and nodded. The leader and her dragonite both watched silently. Tyler took another step forward, building up a full-power Hydro Pump. He took aim and opened his mouth, letting the attack loose. It hit the dragonite hard enough to knock it onto its back, and Tyler staggered a little himself. _I'm in bad shape._

The leader shook her head and addressed Claire again. "You really don't learn, do you?" At a nod, her dragonite took off, hovering over him. "There's only one way to teach your kind this lesson, and it's going to be painful." She glanced up. "Giga Impact." Above him, the dragonite started glowing incandescent white. There wouldn't be any evading this one, Tyler realized. He closed his eyes as his trainer's scream of " _Vaporeon!_ " reached him. _I trusted you, Claire…_

* * *

 _The blazing dragonite hit Vaporeon like a meteor, sending a massive crash echoing through the cavern and kicking up a shockwave through the pooled water, blasting out a dry circle. Claire's heart stopped for a moment as her whole world froze in shock. As her mind caught again, she screamed a second time. "Vaporeon! NO!"_

 _The girl dropped to her knees; with a feeling like a punch in the gut her fingers found cracks in the nearly indestructible gym floor._ I should get up. I should move. Get Vaporeon to the pokécenter, _now. But Claire couldn't bring herself to do anything. She was still frozen except for the fresh tears that dripped down her face._

 _Aeris stepped forward, frowning. "I'm beyond disappointed in you. Get out of here. There's still time to save your vaporeon." She paused. "I don't_ _ **ever**_ _expect to see you in my gym again." Claire nodded brokenly, feeling for where she'd dropped Vaporeon's ball._

* * *

 _Now_ _ **you**_ _trust_ _ **me**_.

Tyler reformed in the water at the edge of the crater, blinking against the blurriness in his vision. A gasp came from one side and pain assaulted him all over, but Tyler blocked everything out for a moment and narrowed his eyes. Billowing dust obscured the center of the arena, but he could make out the golden shape of the dragonite's wings and shoulders as it heaved for breath, still crouched on the ground where it had hit—where he'd been just moments ago, before he dissolved. The vaporeon concentrated like he never had before, pulling together every scrap of energy he had left. He felt the familiar chill in the pit of his stomach as he got ready. The leader called a warning, "Dragonite!" Before it could do anything, Tyler focused all his energy into a single icy point and turned it on the dragonite in one final blinding-white ice beam. It screamed in pain again; Tyler kept the beam going until it staggered back, still crying out, and collapsed on the ground. He locked his legs and gritted his teeth, staying on his paws through sheer willpower. Frost puffed out of his mouth with each breath. Everything was silent for a moment. _I did it, Claire._

Footsteps sounded from the other direction and Claire skidded to a stop next to him. "Vaporeon! Did you just…you…Oh, _Arceus_ , I can't believe it…" She pulled him into a gentle hug; Tyler's legs folded at her touch and he collapsed against her. "I just…thank you."

A shadow fell over them. "Well. I guess I was wrong about you. About you both. Maybe you _do_ have what it takes to change the world." She stooped and left something on the ground before turning away without another word. Tyler and Claire watched her recall her dragonite and walk deeper into the cavern until she passed out of sight.

Claire reached out and picked up the small wooden box, flipping it open to reveal a single dragonite scale encased in some kind of clear glass circle. She wiped tears off her face before holding it in front of Tyler's nose. "See this, Vaporeon? You just won it. We can go to the League now." The trainer wrapped her arms around him again. "Thank you."

* * *

 **Stay tuned! Chapter 34 should be ready in a day or so and will bring Tyler's League challenge to its conclusion. This is going to be an emotionally charged chapter.**


	34. Remember

_December 3_

 _It didn't come down to me like I thought it would. I should have known. Sometimes I forget it's my pokémon out there fighting. And getting hurt. They're not just machines. They're_ _ **not**_ _weapons, no matter what Leader Aeris seems/seemed to think about me._

 _She's wrong anyway. Vaporeon carried this fight himself. He won it_ _ **after**_ _I gave up, with a move he's never used in a battle before. I don't think I could ever be so proud of anyone as I was when I realized he'd pulled out Acid Armor to take a hit that could have killed him._ _ _And then he kept fighting on his own. He ended it._ It's just…touching, knowing that after all this time Vaporeon decided I was worth standing up for. And that he'd go __**that**_ _far to do it. I've never seen a pokémon get so stuck on things, and I've been worried he'd never really like/trust/care about me again._

 _He's not the only one, of course. Typhlosion, Ampharos, Murkrow, and Tropius all gave it everything they had too. It's just fitting, somehow, that things came to a head with Vaporeon._

 _Aeris was right about one thing, though. I was way too focused on tactics and doing everything perfectly, being ready with counters for all her attacks and stuff. I forgot how much of it depends on the bond I have with my team. It's a reminder I definitely needed; it scared me when she started comparing me to Blue. I don't want it to be true about me._

 _But yeah. I think things are finally looking up with Vaporeon. Our relationship has been iffy at best ever since I caught Tropius, but something changed today. I finally respect him for who he is. Sometimes I feel like I have to be the one they all depend on, but maybe it's not that way. I think he had a change of heart towards me too. We're going to be strong together. We're_ _ **all**_ _going to be strong together. It's time to face the League. I'm finally going. By the time we get there, we'll be ready. I'm going to be a Pokémon Master, and we're going to leave our mark on the world._

* * *

Claire gave them a few days to rest after fighting the dragon gym. She found one or two things to do each day, but for the most part they were left alone to do whatever they wanted. She was more talkative than she had been lately, and Tyler felt warm whenever she smiled at him, which was a lot. Things had never been better.

He got to play in a shallow lagoon on the island; it was warmer here and he spent a good while each day in the water. Alan and Olive both joined him sometimes; the tropius enjoyed wading in the shallows and even ventured out deeper until only his head was above water. Olive enjoyed playing in the surf, although her feathers frosted white from salt when she dried out. Leo even got in the water once or twice, though he clearly didn't enjoy it as much as they did. Tyler didn't blame the typhlosion.

They stayed on the island for a while; a few days stretched into more than a month. Occasionally they battled against the new trainers who showed up to challenge the gym, and the ones who were leaving. Finally being able to turn liquid in a single breath was quickly becoming one of Tyler's most useful abilities; pokémon like Scyther could slash at him all day without getting anywhere, and if he had water out it was easy to counterattack with Waterfall as soon as they paused.

Eventually they got back on the boat and returned to where they had been before. It got a lot colder on the way; Tyler thought maybe that was why Claire had been reluctant to leave, though it didn't bother him as much as he'd thought it would. Not having fur had really worried him after he'd evolved.

Claire let everyone out to see as the boat approached the coast again. Excitement swept through the team. _We're going to do it. Take on the strongest trainers in the region and show them we're strong enough to take care of everyone._ Claire had talked a lot on the trip about what Masters were supposed to do, how they were supposed to travel and watch and help people. It wouldn't be all about battles anymore. Miranda seemed a little disappointed about that, but Tyler and Leo shared a sense of anticipation for that time. Tyler did want life to be about more than just battles again, though he understood they did have to prove themselves.

 _We're ready._ Tyler knew he was far stronger than he'd even imagined before meeting Claire. With the rest of Claire's team, he thought they could take anyone. Alan seemed a lot more comfortable with his powers now and could launch huge wind and leaf attacks. Olive wasn't as strong, but she was an expert at dodging almost anything. Leo and Miranda, of course, were getting even more powerful. They could win at the League.

Despite all that, they didn't go north to challenge the League for a while. Winter probably had something to do with it; Claire occasionally moved from town to town, but they didn't camp out anymore. Tyler supposed he didn't blame her, since she didn't have a ball to keep her out of the cold. She _was_ the one walking everywhere in the snow to go places. They kept training, but a lot of the battles happened indoors.

Finally things started to warm up and Claire headed north through the melting snow. They passed through forest trails, spending a night in the town near where Tyler had grown up. It was the closest he'd been to home since before his capture, and Tyler couldn't help staring out the window at the forest that night. They moved on after that, passing the ridge and entering the huge city in the valley there, but then Claire took another road Tyler hadn't seen before, continuing in the same direction instead of turning eastward. They stopped that night in another small village.

"All right," Claire said, "We're only about a week away from the League headquarters. We've come so far guys, I'm proud of you all. We're almost there and I want us to be at the top of our game when we make our challenge. Get a good night's sleep." They headed out again the next morning. Claire had picked up some different foods that she said were supposed to help them with training. They didn't taste very good, but they were okay if Tyler ate them with something else.

In the midafternoon, Claire sent Tyler out to walk with her. She still wore a coat outside, but the temperature didn't bother Tyler too much as long as he kept moving. It wasn't much colder than stream water. There was melting snow all around on the ground and in the trees, filling the area with pleasant dripping noises and making the ground squish under his paws. A lot of it was already gone, finally bringing green back to the world. All in all, Tyler thought it made for a wonderful day.

It was a smell that caught Tyler's attention first, something half-remembered. He didn't know where he recognized it from, but sounds of someone else walking up ahead promised an answer. It was definitely a human smell, not a pokémon—Maybe it was one of Claire's friends? She'd said they would be going to challenge the League too. If so, they might have a battle today after all.

Ahead of them the footsteps stopped for a moment, then changed direction and started coming closer. Tyler and Claire rounded a bend in the path to encounter a pair of trainers—that much was obvious from the balls they had.

Tyler barely noticed, though. Every detail sunk into place—black clothes, white shoes and gloves, those red markings on their chests…

One of them started to say something. Tyler was already running, propelled by a fury he hadn't known was inside him. He reached a full sprint in a moment and called on his power, drawing water from the ground and melting snowdrifts to pound the nearest Rocket, a female, in the chest with a half-formed Waterfall attack. She flew back a few feet and landed hard. Claire was screaming at him to stop. Tyler shifted targets, lashing out with his tail and dropping the male Rocket too as the he tried to grab a ball to send one of his pokémon out. At that moment, Tyler heard a ball open behind him. He whirled, another attack already forming, and blasted the pokémon with a hydro pump attack as soon as it appeared. He didn't even see what it was before the water blasted it into the trees. Without so much as pausing to think, Tyler pounced, landing on top of the female Rocket and snarling in her face, another blast of water already forming in his throat.

White light enveloped him before he could strike, and the burst of water pounded into the island in his ball, spraying back unexpectedly. Tyler fell back. _No!_ He started pounding on a tree, hoping to somehow break it. "Let me back out, Claire!" Tyler howled the words, hearing them echo back off the walls. "You don't know what they did! They _took my family away!_ " Tyler lashed out at the ball with everything he had, every attack, all his power, but it refused to waver. He staggered, breath coming in ragged pants as he finally had to accept that it wouldn't break. The vaporeon sank to the ground, staring at his bruised paws as tears spilled from his eyes. _They_ _ **hurt**_ _me, Claire, you don't understand_.

* * *

 _February 24_

 _I found out something new today - well, "found out something new" doesn't do it justice. Anyway, here it is:_

 _Vaporeon_ _ **hates**_ _Team Rocket. Beyond anything I've ever seen._

 _I had him out of his ball, and we run into two of their grunts on the road. I'm getting ready for a fight, just in case they try something, when out of nowhere Vaporeon goes berserk. I've never seen anything like it. He attacked them on sight—they didn't even get the chance to send out any pokémon at first. He wouldn't listen to me at all, just kept attacking—I had to return him to his ball before he seriously injured them or worse. I think the woman might have to go to the hospital anyway, but I've seen that posture before—he was about to blast her point-blank in the face with Hydro Pump. It was scary. I wouldn't even let him do that against a pokémon, unless it was against something really armored or really powerful._

 _It's not the first time I've met them, but now that I think about it I've never used Vaporeon in a battle any of the times they showed up and wanted one. I'm no fan of Team Rocket—they seem like a bunch of thugs for the most part, even if they don't actually steal pokémon since their top boss disappeared—but even with everything I've seen, I'd never imagined Vaporeon would—or even could—snap like that. I mean, sometimes he gets upset, but not aggressive. Not like…this._

 _I only let him out of his ball one more time today, for dinner, and he still seemed angry. I hope he calms down by tomorrow; I don't know what I'm going to do with him otherwise. I can't have him battle until I'm sure he won't go off on whoever it is we're facing. I was a little scared that he might attack_ _ **me**_ _tonight._

* * *

Tyler spent the night in his ball, laying on his stomach with a paw over his eyes. He didn't sleep much, and when he did he found himself in nightmares of running through the forest as an eevee again, remembering the morning the Rockets first came in painful detail. When Claire sent him out to eat the next morning, he was exhausted. Miranda was there too. "What's wrong, Tyler? Claire sent me out, told me to _watch_ you. You weren't with us last night either. What's going on? What did you do?"

Tyler related the story between bites. "I _saw_ them, Miranda. The Catchers, the Rockets who came to the forest and captured my family last year. We ran into two of them yesterday, and…I attacked them."

"Why? I mean, well, _why?_ "

"They deserve it," Tyler said fiercely. "I'd do it again. I want them stopped. I was never strong enough to face them before. I'm…" he paused and glanced at the trainer, who shifted. Miranda took a protective step in her direction too. Tyler sighed. "I'm not angry with Claire. Not going to attack her. I wouldn't ever. And I know she doesn't have any idea what I went through with those Rockets." He shook his head. "It doesn't have anything to do with her."

Miranda looked at him for a moment, then nodded and stepped away. "I believe you. I don't always get you, but…what _did_ happen? You've never really said." Tyler looked up at the ampharos, and she shrugged. "I know, I'm not the 'caring' one on the team. But if it upsets you enough to just attack them…that's bad."

Tyler nodded slowly and sighed, thinking about where to begin. "It was about a year ago. Almost exactly—last spring. I hadn't evolved back then. I had— _have—_ four brothers and sisters, we lived in the forest. I woke up one morning and there was an arbok outside." Tyler shivered. "It was coming for us. Mother attacked it—Father wasn't there, he always went out to patrol before the sun came up. We all hid in the den. The Catchers sent two more pokémon to attack Mother. She was fighting them for a minute…she got poisoned by the arbok…then Father came and attacked them. He told us all to run." Tyler started to tear up again. "That was the last time I saw him. Some of the pokémon who didn't get caught saw the fight, they said they sent four pokémon to attack him at once.

"We all ran away. Mother led us into the forest, but there were still Catchers all around. One of their pokémon took my sister Kara. Carson—he's my older brother—ran off after her, followed them to a town. They caught him when he was trying to get her out. But that was later.

"After that it was just me, Mother, my brother Skylar and my little sister Sasha. Mother's poison was getting bad. Then _more_ of them attacked us. Mother did everything she could to keep them from getting to us. We all ran different ways, and…I never saw any of them again." Tyler looked back up at Miranda. "They're…all the bad things I ever heard about Catchers. I still have nightmares sometimes, that I'm back there and they're coming for my family. That's why I attacked them yesterday."

"Then after I evolved I found my older brother and sister. Some pokémon helped me, they were in a building in the last city we went through. They just kept them in dark little rooms and took them out to do some kind of tests with them. I got them out, with a lot of other pokémon the Rockets were keeping there. That was the night before I met all of you. We all ran, we got out of town, but I got poisoned during the escape. We had to split up again because they were coming after us. I headed back for the ridge but the poison kept getting worse. And then…that's where Claire caught me."

Miranda just stared at him quietly for a few seconds. Claire was watching intently too. "I'm…" The ampharos paused. "I'm sorry, Tyler. That sounds like a lot to go through." She thought for a moment before grabbing Claire's hand and pulling her a little closer. Tyler understood what she was doing and approached, keeping his head lowered and looking up at the girl, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. She extended her hand; Tyler pushed his head into it and let her stroke him for a while.

"What's going on with you, Vaporeon?" Claire asked softly. "Are you all right?"

Tyler sighed. "I wish I could tell you."

At least Claire didn't seem afraid of him or keep him separated from the others after that. She didn't send him out until evening, when they ate again. With the whole rest of the team there, Tyler had to explain himself again. He didn't enjoy reliving the memories, but there was a sense of justification as he told them what the Rockets had done to him and his family. _If I saw them…I'd do it again_.

Claire let him stay out that night too and sleep with the others. They all clustered around the fire since it was still pretty cold. Tyler tried to get comfortable, but something still felt off. He didn't think it was the Rockets—Tyler knew they were gone, and he doubted any others would show up to bother them. No, this was something else.

After a while, Tyler pinned down the nagging feeling as guilt. _It's my family. I always said I'd come find them, but…I even had a chance to leave back on the coast. Claire would have let me go. I know it was important to know if I could trust her, I know she's earned it, but still, I promised myself I'd find my family. With all the gyms we've been fighting, I let myself forget that. I let myself forget_ _ **them**_.

Tyler realized that was it. Until the Rockets showed up, when was the last time he'd thought about his family? Before the dragon gym, a month ago? _I still don't know where Mother and Father and Skylar and Sasha are. Things have been nice for me, but they might still be locked in those underground cells. It's been almost a year now since they were captured_.

Those thoughts occupied Tyler's mind until he finally escaped into sleep. Even there his thoughts dwelled on his family. It wasn't a nightmare that night, but he couldn't help thinking of Mother and Father locked away.

It wasn't fair, Tyler decided the next morning. He'd worried many times—well, not recently—about how Claire was treating him, but even at the worst times it had been petty things that he'd gotten annoyed about—with the exception of capturing Alan. All the time Carson and Kara had been spending outside their balls was in a cell or wherever the Rockets took them to do their tests. He remembered how happy Kara had looked for those few carefree moments in the moonlight. It had been the first time she and Carson had seen sky since their capture. What if Mother and Father had been kept inside like that for a whole year now? What about Sasha? Tyler couldn't even picture her face very clearly now, though he would still recognize her voice anywhere. And Skylar—he was probably evolved by now.

 _I still don't know what's happening to any of them. I haven't even been thinking about it_. Something else occurred to him. _I was so worried about Claire being like all the other trainers…but now I'm being like all their other pokémon. I've just wanted to win_. That made him feel even worse.

Tyler barely slept that night. Olive, of course, noticed, and asked him what was going on. "I don't know what I'm doing," he replied. He wasn't sure what he could say to explain how he felt, so he didn't try.

He wasn't sent out to fight that day either. Tyler spent most of the day dozing on his island, drifting in and out of consciousness in the bright sunlight, trying to make up for the sleep he hadn't gotten. After a while, he went down into the lake and tried to fall asleep underwater, which he'd never done before. Feeling the water all around him helped a little, and the vaporeon managed to go to sleep for a while.

He woke up suddenly as Claire released him to eat. "How are you doing, Vaporeon?" she asked. There was a smile on her face, but she looked worried. Tyler wanted to reassure her, but he wasn't sure how. He got up and pushed his head into her hand again. She started rubbing his neck; Tyler was looking down but he heard her sigh.

"Are you all right?" This time it was Leo who asked. Tyler shook his head. He thought for a minute, trying to put the words together.

"I can't do this anymore. It's…not where I need to be. I'm not angry. Not really. At Claire, or anyone. The problem is…" Tyler took a deep breath. "My family. Not because I'm sad about them—I mean, I am, but—because…I made a promise, that I'd find them. I know I didn't really have a choice once I got captured. I'm not mad about that, I love Claire and all the stuff she does for us, but…" Tyler thought about the choice he'd made back in the ocean to stay, then pushed it aside. He still wasn't sure whether it had been wrong or right. "Ever since the last gym, I haven't really even thought about them. It's been almost two months. I made my family a promise, and I forgot all about it. Being with Claire, being…owned…it's changing who I am." Tyler shook his head. "I can't keep doing this. Not if this is what it does to me." He turned to Leo. "What about Ryan? Do you ever think of him?"

Leo looked down. "Sometimes."

The vaporeon sighed again. "I knew him right before I was captured. He was my best friend, and now _I_ barely ever remember him. It's…I made a promise. I need to keep it."

Alan spoke up. "Well, what can you do?"

"I don't know, Alan. That's the problem."

The next day, things were a little more normal. Claire started sending him out to fight again. Tyler won both times, but he didn't have any enthusiasm for it. He almost lost once because his reactions were so slow; it took a nasty hit to jolt him into action. Tyler felt bad; he knew he was letting Claire down.

* * *

 _March 1_

 _Vaporeon just seems depressed now. It's been days since we ran into those Rocket grunts, but he's not getting any better. He'll obey orders, but the fire I saw in him when we were facing Aeris…it's just gone. The rest of the team seem like they're trying to cheer him up too, but whatever they're doing isn't working either. He's definitely not going to be able to challenge the League in this state._

 _I'm starting to think Team Rocket had something to do with the state he was in when I first found him. I've heard rumors that they abuse the pokemon they have for sale-I believe them now. It fits with how he's been acting, and why he attacked them a few days ago. The only weird thing still is that if they were keeping him in a ball, I shouldn't have been able to catch him. Maybe he got away from them somehow, broke his ball from outside._

 _That doesn't really matter, though. The point is, Vaporeon's really unhappy and I don't know if I can do anything that will help him. I hate that feeling. I'm the trainer, I'm supposed to be able to take care of my pokémon. I hate seeing them sad. When it comes to stuff like this, though, what can I do?_

 _Anyway, that's all for tonight. No important battles or anything happened._

* * *

They got into the town with the League a few days later. Claire was being extra nice to Tyler; she spent a lot of time with him, took him around to see the city, let him play in the fountains, but it didn't really help. Tyler knew she was making an effort and doing her best to help him, so he tried to act more normal, but he could tell she wasn't fooled. She sat down on the ground one afternoon to look him in the eye. "I want you to be happy, Vaporeon. That's the most important thing. The League and everything can wait. I mean—I'm a trainer. Rule number one is take care of your pokémon. Not battles, not teaching them stuff, just taking care of you. That's my responsibility. And…I care about you, okay, Vaporeon? I hate seeing you like this." Claire wiped away a tear. "I just wish you could tell me what's going on."

"I know," Tyler said. He padded closer and rested his head on Claire's shoulder, sniffing a little himself. _It's like we're both trapped on opposite sides of a stream, or canyon or something. We both want to help, but we don't know how._

* * *

 _March 2_

 _I caught Vaporeon staring out the window tonight. Now that I think about it, it's not the first time this week, but I recognized the look this time. I should know, I wore it enough when I was younger. It's the simplest kind of hurt in the world._

 _There's someone out there. He wants them back. And with that...well, I know what to do now. It's gonna kill me._

 _I guess there's not anything left to say tonight. I'm too emotional right now, gonna cut it off right here._

* * *

Claire was acting oddly at breakfast the next day. She kept staring at him, and once or twice Tyler thought he saw a tear. He wasn't the only one who noticed, either. Everyone else asked him what was going on. All the vaporeon could do was shrug. There wasn't a lot of conversation; nothing had changed in the last few days and everything had been said already, but Claire's demeanor made them all a little uneasy.

After they ate, Claire took them all to a park. She brought extra food along and told them to enjoy themselves. Apart from that, though, she seemed kind of withdrawn, though she was clearly making an effort to be cheerful. Tyler thought maybe that was how he had been the last few days. He hadn't been very social recently, but Claire's odd behavior was enough to get him to pay more attention to everyone. They ran around, trying to keep as warm as they could since it was still pretty cold outside. Tyler saw some clouds on the horizon and started half-hoping it would rain, but they didn't pass overhead. Eventually Claire called them all to come back and said they were leaving. Everyone else was as mystified as Tyler.

He waited in his ball for a while. Part of him wondered what was going on, but after a few minutes he lost interest and just lay down.

It was midafternoon when Claire sent him out again. They were somewhere back on the rocky path they'd followed to the town they'd been staying in. He looked around; there weren't any other trainers challenging them, so he turned back to his trainer.

Claire was sitting on a rock. There were streaks down her face; it looked like she had been crying for a while. The girl gripped his ball in both hands, holding it in her lap. _What's wrong?_ Tyler wondered. He took a step closer and made a questioning noise.

"Hey…Vaporeon." Claire's voice was shaky. She gave him a smile, but it collapsed after a second. "I think I finally understand what's going on with you. You lost someone, didn't you? I saw you staring out the window last night. I know—I used to do that too." She paused. "My mom left one day. Dad would never tell me where she went or why. I hoped she'd come back. For years. Eventually, though, I gave up, went to Professor Oak's lab and applied for a pokémon. Dad didn't want me to do it, but…I guess he realized I was determined, so he turned things around between us, helped me get started."

Claire stopped and shook her head. "This isn't about me though, it's about you. You haven't given up yet, or you wouldn't be looking, would you? Whatever it was Team Rocket did, you deserve another chance. I've loved having you on my team. You've gotten really strong and I wouldn't trade you for anyone else. But I can tell it's not the right place for you." Claire stopped again and took a deep breath, starting to cry again. "What I'm getting at here is, if…you want to…you can go."

 _What?_ The words caught Tyler off-guard. _I…can…leave?_ That never happened. Except Claire had given him the chance before, hadn't she? He looked up at the girl's tear-streaked face, overwhelmed by it all, before glancing around, wondering what was going on.

 _I'd finally have a chance to go find my family. That's what I've wanted for the last week…for forever. I wanted the chance to not let them down. And…I can't believe…she's giving it to me._

Tyler buried his head in Claire's stomach. "I was wrong about you the whole time. I thought you couldn't ever understand me or what I was going through. That in the end, you were just a human. I was wrong, okay, Claire? I know you still don't know what I'm saying, but…" He stepped back and looked Claire in the eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much." Now he was crying too. Tyler had never imagined that deciding to leave a Catcher behind could be so hard, but Claire had been everything Leo had told him when they first met. "I'll miss you too."

Claire raised his ball; Tyler stepped forward and pushed her hand back down with a paw. "I want to go. It's just hard." He took another step and nosed at Leo's ball. Claire nodded and shrank his ball, putting it in her bag, before pulling the other balls off her belt and releasing the rest of her team one by one.

"What's going on here?" Miranda asked.

"Claire says I can go." Tyler nodded to himself. "I'm going to find my family."

Leo, Olive, and Alan started a little at this. Miranda took it more calmly. "Are you sure, Tyler?" the typhlosion asked.

"I'm sure, Leo. I'm…really going to miss you, though. All of you. But this is what I have to do."

"Can't we take the League challenge first? We need you on our team."

Tyler thought about it before shaking his head. "I'm not ready for it. That's probably why Claire hasn't gone to challenge them yet. And I can't miss this. I might not get another chance if I stay now. I…" Tyler looked down. "I have a promise to keep."

"Go out there." Miranda spoke now. "Do what you have to. Whatever the Rockets did…make them sorry."

"Don't forget about us, okay?" Olive chirped. "We'll miss you."

"Thanks, Olive." The murkrow had always been the one to notice when things were wrong, and she was a good friend. "I'm really going to miss all of you too. I didn't think it would be so _hard_ , going away."

"Are you sure?" Leo asked again.

"I have to do this," Tyler replied, and the typhlosion finally nodded. "I'm sorry, but…this is goodbye."

"Maybe we'll see you again," Alan said. "Claire told me once she's a Master she'll be traveling around a lot more. She's going to have me carry her from town to town faster if anything happens."

Tyler smiled. "That would be nice. I'd like to see you again sometime." He looked around one last time. "Well…goodbye everyone." Tyler turned back to Claire. "Thank you, Claire, for everything. I'll never forget you." He was about to leave when Leo bounded up and pulled him into a hug. Everyone else gathered around the vaporeon. "Be safe, okay?" He nodded. After a minute they released him.

Tyler nodded again, more tears coming to his eyes. "I'll keep your ball, Vaporeon," Claire called. "So no one…" her voice cracked. "else…catches you. If you ever want to come back, I'll always have a place for you here." She walked up and stroked his head again. "I've got one more thing for you." She pulled something thin out of her bag, a blue crystal on a silver chain. "I picked this up today. It's supposed to make your water powers a little stronger. Here." The girl knelt down and looped it over Tyler's head working over his ruff to settle on his neck. "I hope it helps." She hugged him. "Goodbye, Vaporeon." Tyler nodded into her shoulder.

After a moment she let him go. Tyler took one last look around, meeting the gazes of Miranda, Leo, Olive, Alan, and then finally Claire before turning to leave. He let his tailfin drag on the ground as he walked away, eyes slitted against the tears. He'd never imagined that going away from a human would be so hard. He only looked back once. Claire had tears in her eyes again too. Tyler took a deep breath and set his eyes forward. He wasn't sure he could take looking back again.

He couldn't help turning back one more time when he was almost out of sight. Claire, Miranda, and Leo waved, though Claire and the typhlosion were both wiping their faces at the same time. Tyler nodded again and set out down the path, though his heart felt like it was about to break. _Goodbye, Claire_.

* * *

 _March 3_

 _That's it. I let Vaporeon go today. Whatever happened between him and Team Rocket, it hurt him enough that he doesn't want to stay. He still has someone out there. Maybe someone Team Rocket took. I hope he finds them. I tried to make his last day with us the best I could. I was looking for a gift, something he could take with him easily and remember me by, something that might help. One of the shops had a water crystal—I think it's some kind of elemental stone, but not powerful enough to use for evolution. It seemed like the perfect thing, so I got it. The way he looked at me afterward…I've never had a goodbye this hard._

 _Sometimes you forget that pokémon are real, that they have feelings you don't. I mean, of course they have powers and attacks and everything, and it's fun most of the time - and then there are times like this. Times when being a trainer hurts. You get a pokémon wild and untrained, or young and untrained, work with them, help them learn, get strong together, have moments you'll never forget - and then one day it's all over. I'd never done it before, but I've heard stories from trainers at the pokécenter about what it's like releasing a pokémon. Some of them didn't seem to care. Others described what I feel now. I feel empty. Actually, that's exactly it. It's like there's a hole in my team. I was getting ready to challenge the League, but now… I don't know. It's not that I wanted a strong Ice Beam user to handle Lance's dragon team like he did with Aeris—Vaporeon was one of us. Us against the world, and winning, right? And of course as I write this they're all snuggling around me, trying to make me feel better—even Ampharos. Thanks, guys. I hope Vaporeon finds what he's looking for out there, wherever that takes him._

 _I called home and Dad told me it's because I care, that that's what makes someone ready to be a Pokémon Master. I'm not sure that's what I want anymore—but then, I guess this is what it's always been about, caring about your team,_ _ **loving**_ _them enough to do the hard things. I think I will challenge the League, but I'm not gonna catch another pokémon for it. I can't replace Vaporeon. We'll just have to get strong enough to do it like this. Together. Am I crazy for challenging the League with just four pokémon? Probably. But it's the right thing to do, I think. And there's no team I'd rather have with me. Except…I do wish Vaporeon could be here. I miss him so much._

 _After that…well, Masters have a responsibility to protect the region, people and pokémon alike. I think maybe it'll be time for_ _ **me**_ _to focus on Team Rocket—keep them from hurting any other pokémon like that._

 _Goodbye, Vaporeon._

 **Part IV End**


	35. Wild (part V)

**Part V - Promise  
**

Tyler wandered back down the path, hopefully away from the town with the League—that was the direction he was trying to go. His thoughts were a mess; part of him wanted to be excited that he was free, part was happy to be able to go find his family. Another part missed Claire. It had only been a few minutes away from the trainer, but he was already wondering what was going on. Would they be all right? Was she still going to challenge the League? Was he just being selfish, leaving now?

He shook his head. He'd made his decision already, and he wasn't going back on it. He couldn't. Claire had offered him the choice, he knew she wasn't taking it personally. The vaporeon glanced down at the chip of blue crystal looped around his neck. _I'll never forget this, Claire, I promise. I just have to keep going. I can't turn back_. Tyler knew he would have the same conversation with himself many times in the days and weeks ahead. He couldn't just forget someone like Claire after she'd done so much. Walking away was leaving another hole in Tyler's heart.

 _I can't stop, though. Claire let me go so I could find my family. I have promises to keep_. Tyler shook his head, trying to reassure himself. _She's strong. Leo and Miranda, Alan and Olive, they're all strong. They'll be all right._

 _I miss them_.

Tyler kept on down the rough path, glancing up at the enclosing rock walls. It widened out in here somewhere, he thought. He remembered a battle that had happened in a bigger area of the route. After a while, worry joined the confusion in his head. What if he wasn't going the right way? Where could he find water here? What was he going to eat? Tyler hadn't had to worry about any of that since his capture last fall. Claire had always been the one in charge, bringing them places and making sure they had food and water. Now he'd have to find them on his own, and Tyler wasn't sure how much he trusted his instincts anymore.

The vaporeon shook his head again. _I'll make it. I have to. And it's not bad yet. I have enough water to keep going for a long time, and I can survive without food for now._ He took a deep breath and pushed onward.

There weren't any wild pokémon around like he'd expected, but then again, this was the path all the strongest trainers took to face their final challenge. This was Victory Road. It made sense that pokémon would know to stay off the path, maybe out of the canyon altogether.

He kept going as the day stretched on and the sun started going down. He would have to find somewhere to rest for the night. And find food if he could. Tyler started sniffing the air for berries whenever he thought of it. He could survive a few days without food, but that didn't mean he _wanted_ to.

Up ahead he heard the sound of a trainer and pokémon. Tyler ignored them. The trainer wasn't Claire, and he didn't really want to be reminded again of what he'd left behind.

"Look, Heracross, it's a vaporeon! Go!" Tyler's heart sank, and he finally looked up. _They're attacking me! I should have realized…only Claire knows I used to belong to her._ That was all he had time for before the heracross came charging in, horn glowing. He had to fight.

Tyler turned liquid as the heracross blasted through him and hit the wall. It turned around as he reformed. "Wait! We don't have to do this!" Tyler protested.

"I'm afraid we do," the heracross replied, coming at him again. Tyler spat an instinctive blast of water at it, hitting its legs and knocking it down.

"No! I mean I'm not a wild pokémon! Not really."

"You sure look like one." The heracross lunged up, catching Tyler off-guard and locking an arm around him before spinning and hurling him at the wall. Tyler hit painfully and rolled to the ground. The heracross was already coming again. _No time to talk_. Tyler let loose with a full-power hydro pump, blasting the heracross off its feet and sending it sliding. Without wasting any time, Tyler turned his power cold and used an ice beam to freeze the water around the heracross, trapping it.

"No, look! I've got…" Tyler felt for the chain around his neck. With a burst of dismay, he realized it was gone. "No…where did it go?" He started looking wildly around. "I had it when we started fighting!" He looked back to where he'd hit the wall. Nothing. Where the heracross had grabbed him. The ground there was wet, but there was no crystal. "She just gave it to me," he finished forlornly. "I can't have lost it."

The heracross had stopped trying to get out of the ice. A moment later it vanished into the ball and the trainer sent out a raichu. "No! Wait!" Tyler called.

"Raichu, Thunderbolt!" Tyler didn't have any time to prepare. The lightning strike ripped through him and he hit the ground, gasping for breath. The vaporeon lifted himself slowly, painfully to his paws as the raichu moved in.

"Raichu, that's enough for right now." the lightning mouse stopped and waited as a ball came arcing through the air to hit Tyler. _He can't catch me. He can't catch me. Claire said so_. Everything went white.

The light faded, leaving Tyler back in the canyon again. "What?" The trainer stared at him and the ball laying on the ground in surprise before throwing another one. As before, the ball started to pull him in but stopped, leaving the vaporeon standing tiredly on the path.

"Oh no…Raichu, it's a trainer's pokémon!" The trainer, an almost fully grown male, came running over. "I'm sorry, boy. I thought you were wild." Tyler gave a quiet sigh of relief. It was over at least.

The trainer rummaged through his bag. "Here. I can't spare much, but take these. I'm sorry I got you hurt." He held out a handful of berries. Tyler reached out with a paw; the movement made him wince a little, but the trainer set the berries on the ground. Tyler wanted to eat, but then he remembered his missing water crystal and forgot all about food. _What happened to it?_

"Can you help me?" Tyler called to the raichu.

"Help with what?" it asked.

"My trainer gave me a water crystal. It was just this afternoon, but it fell off in the fight. I can't lose it, it's all I have from her. Please help me find it?"

It looked at him, then at the trainer, who was staring mystified at them both. "All right. What does it look like?"

"It's a blue crystal on a silver chain. Not too big." Tyler turned away from the trainer and the small pile of berries to start pacing slowly across the path. The raichu moved in the other direction to start searching as well.

After a minute, it called, "Is this it?" The mouse held a chain in one paw. It was further up the path, the way he'd come.

"That's it!" Tyler forgot the pain he was in for a moment and broke into a sprint for a few steps before he had to slow down again. "Ow…"

"Sorry," the raichu apologized. It closed the distance between them. "Um, here you go."

Tyler let the chain loop around one paw, staring relieved at the clear blue stone. "Thanks for helping me find it." He carefully got his nose through the chain and folded his fins down flat so he could work it back over his head. He stretched out his neck and shook it down over his frill too. "I can't lose this. It's all Claire gave me." Seeing the raichu's confusion, he added, "My trainer. She let me go today."

"Wait. Really? Why?"

Tyler sighed. "It's a long story. It's not because she was mad at me or anything. But I have something I have to do out here. She gave me this water crystal to remember her by. I think…" _Right_. Tyler realized he must have lost it when he turned liquid to take the heracross's charge. _I splashed all over, I just didn't even_ _ _realize it would stay solid._ I'm gonna have to be more careful from now on._ "I lost it at the beginning of the fight," he explained to the raichu. It nodded.

Tyler went back over to the trainer. "I'm sorry," the human said again. Tyler was about to say something, but he didn't feel like it. The trainer _had_ just attacked him. Instead he nodded and bent his head down to pick up a berry.

"Um…yeah. Sorry about that. I hope you're all right." The trainer turned and started walking away, calling the raichu after him.

"Good luck," the yellow mouse called over its shoulder.

Tyler looked up as they moved away. "Thanks." Once they were out of sight, he slowly ate the berries the trainer had left on the ground before limping to a spot sheltered by some rocks. His injuries weren't going away any time soon. _I got careless,_ the vaporeon thought. _With a trainer, they take care of you. Pokécenters take care of stuff like this all the time. Out here, though…it's going to be a while. I have to be careful_.

The fight had also been harder than he was expecting. With Claire, he almost never faced electric pokémon. The few times he had, he'd used a defensive technique Claire had had him practice, but it took a few moments to get ready and didn't always work. Without Claire to anticipate the other trainer, Tyler didn't stand much chance against their electric pokémon.

Thinking about her reminded him again of the crystal around his neck. He looked down again, lifting it off his chest with a paw. He hadn't really looked at it yet; it had mostly been a symbol of Claire, something to remind him of her. It still was, but now Tyler studied it more closely. It looked like it had broken off of a larger gem, but the edges formed glassy curves without any sharp points. There were little bubbles inside the blue gem as well. _Claire said it's supposed to make my water powers stronger. Maybe it's like the water stone that made me evolve. Even though I never saw it…this is probably the closest thing I'll have. I didn't know they could do anything after evolution though_.

How _did_ it work? Tyler reached out with his water senses. He could sense a little moisture on the ground and in the walls, but there wasn't any standing water around here. He focused on the crystal and found he could make it out, though it didn't feel like water. More like his energy. _I wonder how it makes my powers stronger?_ Tyler experimentally focused his energy for a basic water blast. As he did, the crystal started glowing faintly in the deepening shadows. He relaxed and the glow faded away. _It's definitely reacting to my water powers_. Claire had been right. _I'll figure out how to use it…tomorrow maybe._ Tyler sighed. Getting beaten like that was going to make the next few days a lot harder, especially since he didn't know his way around here.

He sighed and stretched stiffly. At least he wasn't hungry, though the fight hadn't been worth it. _I thought this was going to be easier…I guess I've forgotten how to be a wild pokémon. Somehow I thought training with Claire meant nothing would really be a threat to me. And I guess I didn't think trainers would still come after me_.

 _I've got a lot to learn, or relearn, don't I?_

The vaporeon turned and rearranged his paws, trying to get comfortable on the dusty ground. It was the first time he'd slept alone in a long time, apart from a few nights ago when Claire had kept him in his ball. _I wonder what they're doing?_ He didn't think Claire would have gone to challenge the League—no, she wouldn't have, not the same night he'd left. _I wonder if she's thinking about me right now? If everyone else is?_ Tyler suddenly felt lonely again. _Did I make the right decision? I miss them so much_.

He thought about that until the sun was gone and the stars were out, his thoughts chasing one another in circles over and over. Finally he shook his head. _I made my choice. Just like last time. I promised to find my family. Claire gave me the chance, so the best thing I can do now is not let it go to waste. I'm not just doing this for me now. Or even for my family. I'm doing it for Claire too. That's how I'll remember her_. That silenced the debate in his head, and Tyler finally stretched out on the ground to sleep.

When he woke the next morning the lingering ache from being shocked by the raichu had faded, but Tyler's muscles were still stiff; when he stretched he thought he could tell the exact spot where he'd been thrown against the wall. He set out again, favoring his back. He didn't want to run into any other trainers today. Things might go better if he could show them the water crystal before a fight started, but… _I need to get out of this canyon. Away from the path. Somewhere with food and water and wild pokémon…well,_ _ **other**_ _wild pokémon. I am one now_.

Tyler set off down the path again, keeping his ears open for any sound and scanning the walls for a way out. The next time he heard something, Tyler didn't take any chances; he immediately started looking for a place to hide. Unfortunately there wasn't anywhere he could conceal himself. _Sometimes I wish I wasn't so…blue_. Tyler laughed a little to himself. He'd thought that before, back before he was captured. _Maybe I am remembering what it's like to be wild again_.

Still, there was one thing he hadn't been able to do before. Tyler got as far from the path as he could, stepped behind a medium rock, and waited. The sounds came closer; it was definitely a trainer coming. Before it came into view, Tyler let out his breath and melted into a puddle. He held himself together enough that he could still see with some clarity as the trainer—no, it was _trainers_ —turned the corner; he couldn't make out many details, but he thought it was a male and a female. Not for the first time, Tyler found himself wishing he could hear in his liquid state, but it wasn't worth the risk. _Just don't look over here too closely_. He waited for them to pass out of sight again before finally reforming, and he took a few moments to listen before he continued. It definitely paid to be careful. _Just like before, Tyler,_ he thought to himself. _Run and hide before you fight. Without trainers and nurses to heal you, you can't just challenge anything. Winning isn't worth getting hurt now_.

Once he was sure the trainers were gone, Tyler picked Claire's water crystal up with a paw and worked it over his head again. _At least I didn't lose it. And now I know to keep an eye on it when I dissolve._ He got it over his fins and stretched his neck up, shaking his head until the chain slipped back over his ruff. He breathed out, glad to have the crystal safely around his neck again.

As he went on, Tyler's thoughts wandered back to Claire and the team he'd left behind. Now that he wasn't with them, he couldn't help wishing he knew what they were doing. He hoped they were all right without him, though his heart sank as he pictured Claire. His leaving had to be as hard on her as it was on him. Maybe harder. After all the time they'd spent together, Tyler was sure that she cared about him, and probably worried about how he was doing. Part of him wanted to turn back and find his trainer again, reassure her and himself that it would all be all right, take the safe route and challenge the League with his teammates, but he pushed those thoughts away again. In the end, that wasn't what he was working for. He still couldn't help his growing loneliness.

Tyler had to avoid two more trainers before he finally saw a narrow path that looked like it could get him out. It wound up the side of the canyon, and Tyler considered it for a minute before deciding to try it. It didn't look easy or safe, but the vaporeon needed to find somewhere else to be, and soon, before trainers or exposure got to him. It…Tyler sighed. The truth was it would be good to have someone else to talk to, too. It had only been a day since he'd been released and his thoughts were already chasing themselves in circles. Mostly he just missed everyone.

Tyler took a deep breath before braving the trail. He could smell pokémon scents on it, so it was definitely used…that was heartening. Carefully placing one paw in front of another, he made his way up the cliffside. He quickly realized the path was made by a smaller pokémon, but as long as he hugged the rock things were okay. That and he didn't have enough room for his tail if he wanted to turn around. There was a nervous moment when he had to squeeze underneath an outcropping stone, but finally the vaporeon pulled himself out of the canyon, blinking as the afternoon sun suddenly found him.

His first thought when he emerged was of how dry everything was. It was like the ridge, but this was a broad expanse that stretched on and on, broken only by large rock formations and scrub trees. And pokémon. Tyler saw an onix slithering along a well-scraped path as well as several suspicious-looking piles of rock that could be more onix or golem. Now that there was something new to see, Tyler found it easier to concentrate on what he was doing. _Lots of rock pokémon around here…but they have to drink too. Let's see if they know where to find water_.

He headed for the onix, breaking into a run a few times to catch up. "Hey!" he called. The onix stopped and turned its massive head to look at him. "I was just wondering…do you know where to find water around here?"

It considered him for a moment before rumbling, "I do. But why should I help you?"

"Wait. What do you mean?" Tyler asked, confused.

It let out a heavy breath. "You smell like Catchers."

"Oh." Tyler felt a bit of relief, mixed with sadness. "Well…I'm not with her—them—anymore. I'm out on my own."

"Hmmm." The onix reared up, peering around.

"Come on," Tyler pleaded. "I'm not going to attack you or anything. I don't actually like catching pokémon."

"But you have," the onix surmised.

Tyler let his fins droop. "Yeah." He looked away. "Once. But I didn't know she was going to do it. Please," he added, "I've been on the road since yesterday. I need to find someplace safe."

"Safe?" The onix laughed. "No place is safe. You want to survive out here, you have to be dangerous. Make your own place safe."

Tyler sighed. This wasn't going anywhere. Instead of answering, he closed his eyes and stretched out as far as he could with his water senses. To his surprise, he felt water, but it was further away than he'd ever been able to sense—at least half a day's travel from where he was. _It must be the water crystal_. Tyler opened his eyes to see that it was glowing again.

A stone tail smashed him off his paws. "I wasn't done," the onix rumbled.

Tyler slowly picked himself up again, checking himself over. Satisfied that he hadn't been seriously hurt, he turned to glare at the rock snake. "Do you _want_ a fight?"

"Just like a Catcher's pokémon," the onix observed.

Tyler thought that over for a moment. "No," he corrected, " _you_ attacked _me_." He hesitated for a moment before deciding to use an ice beam. He needed to save all the water he could, and ice would work just as well here. He kept his head down to hide what he was doing until he heard the scrape of rock as the onix started moving again. Tyler looked up and blasted it in the face before raking the white beam down the raised part of the onix's body. The attack it was trying to use never landed; the onix collapsed to the ground, drawing rattling breaths. "Is that dangerous enough for you?" Tyler asked. He turned away, not waiting for an answer. "Thanks for all your help."

Tyler headed for the water source he'd sensed; it didn't seem like he'd make it there that night, but he could get a start. Once he was far enough from the onix, he stopped and covered his bruises with water, waiting for them to heal. He hadn't wanted to look weak in front of the other pokémon, but its attack had hurt. The water crystal around his neck started glowing faintly again, and after just a few minutes the bruises reformed fully healed. Tyler silently thanked Claire again for her parting gift.

He went on later into the night than he normally would have, avoiding other pokémon as much as he could. When he finally decided it was time to stop, he reached out to feel for the water again. It was a lot closer; he'd probably reach it by midmorning. He was really hungry by this point, but Tyler ignored the discomfort in his stomach, reassuring himself that there would be something to eat by or in the water. He looked around for a little while before choosing a place to sleep. As an extra precaution, the vaporeon found a dip and filled it with water before laying down and dissolving into it. _I hope I can sleep like this_. After a while he did fall asleep; the novelty of trying to stay liquid for the night was overcome by the quiet and relaxation.

Flapping noises woke him the next day; Tyler jerked up with a start as something passed overhead. It kept going without paying him much attention; he saw it was a sand-colored bird with strangely shaped wings. After reassuring himself that it wasn't going to come back and attack him or anything, and looking around to make sure he was alone otherwise, Tyler started to notice some other things. He didn't think he'd woken up liquid, and now that he looked down, there wasn't any water in the dip, just mud. And his water crystal. Tyler picked it up and rinsed the mud off before pulling it over his head again, making sure it was secure before turning to other things. _Did I absorb the water?_ Tyler was pretty sure he hadn't. That meant…he sighed. The water had just seeped away during the night, and without it he'd reformed. That kind of thing hadn't happened in his ball, but now that he thought about it, the ball didn't have real soil in it. There was nothing for water to seep into.

Tyler hung his head for a few moments. _That's another mistake I've made. I keep thinking things will be the same as when I was with Claire. I should know better. I used to live in the wild all the time_. And the first things when he went somewhere new were always find food, water, and shelter. Tyler knew that if it weren't for the fact that he was a water pokémon, he might not have had a chance of making it from where Claire had let him go. _I really wasn't ready to do this_ , he admitted silently.

 _Nothing to do now but get to the water._ Tyler reached out again, recentering himself in the water's direction. Now that he was closer, he thought it might be a pond or lake. Maybe with a stream. That would be helpful. As he stopped focusing on his water sense again, Tyler realized that it was the general direction the strange bird had been flying in. That was a good sign too. Tyler pushed his hunger down again and set off hopefully for the water.

Traveling again made Tyler's hunger worse; by the time he got near the water all he wanted to do was find a bush. He found himself thinking longingly of Claire and her bag, which always had a supply of food along with everything else. When he finally caught the scent of berries, Tyler thought he would happily fight Ray's meganium Diane again for them.

Fortunately that didn't turn out to be necessary, although he did have to warn off a menacing-looking scizor when it started to move his direction. _This isn't like the forest at all,_ Tyler thought, glancing around warily. _I never thought I'd have to watch for other pokémon. I guess that's why all the trainers call this place the final challenge_. Instead of eating the berries at the bush like he normally would have, Tyler quickly pulled a few off, not bothering about the taste, and slid into the pond with the stems in his mouth. The water wasn't clean like he was used to, but it was still better than staying on land with a constant threat of attack. _And it's not that bad,_ he scolded himself. _Just because it's not as clear as in my ball, that doesn't mean the water's bad._

Tyler turned his attention to his food. As he took the first bite Tyler automatically started soaking up water as well, and he finally felt a little safer as his reserves and his stomach started to fill.

He made out a movement in the water behind him and turned to face it, letting a half-eaten berry drift. It was a poliwrath. The sturdily built pokémon was swimming toward him, quickly closing the distance. Tyler had fought one or two of them before in training battles; they were tough. From what he remembered, the best moves to use against it were Scald—if he'd ever learned it—and Ice Beam, which he'd never tried using underwater and wasn't hopeful about now. He could use his other powers to hold it off, but he'd probably scatter the rest of his berries if he tried any water attacks.

 _Hold on,_ Tyler realized, looking at his food. _Maybe it's just hungry_. _Maybe there's another way to solve this, without fighting_. Tyler met the poliwrath's gaze for a moment before taking one of his berries and sending it on a current to the other pokémon. It looked back and nodded in a sort of shrugging gesture, accepting the berry, and Tyler felt a bit of relief. He watched for a moment as the poliwrath retreated before turning back to his meal.

Once he'd eaten, Tyler thought about what to do next. There wasn't much point to moving on if he didn't have any idea where to go or how to get there. Not that there was much reason to stay, but at least there was food and water here. The pond was probably the safest place he'd find for a while. _I should probably rest here for a few days, get used to fending for myself again. At least I can get to know how things are out here_.

Tyler stayed in the pond for a while, only popping out occasionally to see what other pokémon were around. There were a lot of different ones as the day went on; it seemed like a place they all had to come, but none of them wanted to stay near others longer than they had to. _It's kind of sad. Out in the forest most of the pokémon would get along. Even back on the ridge, it felt like a community…but things feel harder out here. How are they—we—supposed to deal with trainers if we always have to keep watching out for other pokémon?_

During the afternoon, Tyler had the idea to slip out and find out where he was. He left the pond and headed for another rock formation. It wasn't the biggest around, but it was a lot taller than he was. _I should be able to see more from on top_. Once he got to it, Tyler padded around the base, looking up and trying to find a way to climb it. There was nothing. The rock sloped steeply up and even curved back out in a few places. Tyler was disappointed for a moment, but it wasn't enough to stop him. The vaporeon backed up, releasing water until he had a sizeable amount. He looked up, aiming for a sort of ledge, and sent himself launching up the side of the rock in a column of water.

He flew higher than he expected and missed the ledge, colliding with a lip just below the top of the rocks and falling a few feet. The landing sent a brief jolt of pain through his paws and he watched the water trickle back down the rocks for a moment while he caught his breath. _Well, that got me up here at least. And this water crystal definitely works_. Tyler looked back the way he'd come. The Pokémon League was somewhere out there—and Claire would be too. _I hope she's all right, and she's not worrying about me too much_.

After a moment, Tyler dragged himself back to the present. He still needed to see where he was. It took him a minute, but he managed to find pawholds to climb the last few feet and get on top of the rocks.

Tyler looked around. _Maybe I was wrong. I think this_ _ **is**_ _one of the big ones_. Looking down, the ground looked further away than the top had seemed when he was trying to get up it, and he carefully made sure of his footing, stretching his tail all the way back for balance. After a moment, Tyler slowly backed off from the edge. As long as he was safely on top, the view around was breathtaking.

Behind him, things sloped up to a mountain range; the midafternoon sun cast slanting shadows that sharply contrasted with the slopes painted in shades of yellow, gray, and green. Behind those there was a blue sky sprinkled with white clouds. There was a breeze up here on top of the rocks, but the stone was warm enough that Tyler didn't feel cold. Looking out, Tyler could make out the canyon of Victory Road a little in the distance, a dark, narrow crack in the world. To its right and further out, things seemed to turn green. That was a good sign. He couldn't see any other water sources, but there had to be streams running down from the mountains somewhere, and the pokémon here seemed too spread out to all use this one pond. _I'm definitely going to head away from the mountains. I don't think there will be anything I'm looking for up there_. Maybe grass or forest or whatever it was would be a friendlier area too.

He stared out across the land for a while, trying to pick out a good route to take. It didn't really look like there was one; it was all about the same, as long as he was headed in the right direction. Tyler estimated it would take him a few days to get there. _I'll need to find other places to stop and eat. Maybe I can find some pokémon who'll actually talk to me. Maybe birds. Birds always know where things are. And they won't say I smell like humans. Or attack me, I hope_.

Tyler nodded to himself. That should work. Now…his heart sank. _Now I need to get down off this rock_. He went to the edge and checked; it was still just as far down as before. _What about the way I came up?_ Tyler made his way over and found the path he'd gotten up by. It looked worse going down, too. After a few minutes of looking for another way, the vaporeon had to admit it was his best chance.

He edged out a little further and placed his forepaws on the most solid-looking spots he could find, then eased one hind leg down. Then the other. Now he was barely balancing on the rock. Tyler was grateful again for the length and weight of his tail. _Okay. Careful._ Tyler reached out his right forepaw again, slowly picking his way down and left toward the first ledge. Disaster struck as he lifted a paw and his hindquarters went sliding off the edge. He caught himself and scrabbled to get back up, but after a moment he could tell it wasn't working. Tyler dug his nails into the rock, precariously hanging on. He slowly probed the rock face with his hind paws, feeling for any crack or depression that might let him get back up. There was nothing, and Tyler didn't know how long he could hold like this.

 _What if I go liquid and just drop? I've done it before, I should be all right. But I'll lose Claire's water crystal again, I have to make sure I pick it up_. An idle thought crossed his mind for just a moment. _Sometime I need to figure out how to reform with it still on_.

 _Okay, I'm doing this_. Tyler took a slow breath and let it out again, trying not to focus on the fact that he was about to drop six times his body length. _You've taken worse than this. Just do it_. He tried to relax and go liquid, but doing that would mean letting go of the rock. Tyler squeezed his eyes shut. If he looked again he might lose his nerve.

Then he slid loose and for a moment there was just air. Oddly, that did the trick; with his eyes still closed Tyler went limp and melted into water. He felt it dimly as he hit the hard ground and his body splattered.

After a few moments Tyler's water flowed back together and he reformed, gasping. It hadn't hurt, but splattering all over the ground like that still knocked the wind out of him. He hauled himself back to his paws and looked around, scanning the ground for where the water crystal had ended up.

Before he could find it, there was a menacing whir and a scyther came flying in, claws extended for a slash. Tyler liquefied again as the long blades went right through his middle and the scyther found itself going the wrong direction. Before Tyler could counterattack, he heard another one coming. There was no time to get ready, so Tyler bolted for the pond. He cried out as a blade found his tail, but he was already moving too fast for the second scyther to strike again without changing direction.

Tyler took the last few steps and plunged into the water. Trying to use his tail hurt too much, so Tyler paddled downward with his paws, calling a current to pull him down faster. He turned back to see the two scyther still hovering over where he'd submerged. He didn't think they could see him, but Tyler dissolved himself anyway. _That was close_. After a few more seconds, the mantises went away. With the immediate threat gone, Tyler turned his attention to the slash on his tail. The scyther's blade had gone almost halfway through; Tyler shivered looking at it, glad his blood ran clear. He started absorbing water so the wound could heal.

It took a long time; the sun had set by the time he'd recovered. Tyler thought about going for his water crystal then, but he wasn't sure he wanted to do that at night. At least during the day he'd get a chance to see what was coming for him. He stepped out onto the shore and focused for a moment, trying to sense it like he had before, but it was too small, too far away. _It'll probably only work if I'm right by it_. Hopefully nothing had found and taken it.

Tyler sighed and retreated into the pond again. _I'm supposed to be stronger than this. I trained for months against all kinds of pokémon, including scyther. I've beaten_ _ **dragons**_ _, for goodness' sake. I shouldn't need to run_.

Except this time it hadn't been a fair fight. He hadn't seen them coming. Tyler gave another mental sigh. _I'm still thinking like a trainer's pokémon. Of course when we're training it's always fair fights, one on one and facing off before we start. That's how trainers do things. Out here, there aren't any rules like that. I need to stop thinking there are_.

Tyler shook his head and flicked his tailfin, sending himself deeper underwater. _I'll wait tonight, get some rest. But tomorrow, I'm getting my water crystal back_.

* * *

 **And so begins the fifth and final part of Tyler's Search. Can a vaporeon defy the way things have always been and free his family? He's certainly about to try.**


	36. Something to Fight For

Tyler woke up underwater, a little disoriented. It took him a few moments to remember where he was and why, but then his paw went instinctively to his chest. _That's right. My water crystal is gone. I have to get it before some other pokémon does._ The image crossed his mind of the crystal simply not being anywhere around the pond, and he shook his head. That _couldn't_ happen.

The vaporeon decided not to eat first. There would be time for that once Claire's gift was safely back around his neck. He oriented himself to the edge of the pond he needed to be on and stepped out of the water.

Despite his urgency, caution still took over for a moment as Tyler looked around to make sure there weren't any pokémon too near or watching him too closely. He worried especially about the scyther pair, but they didn't seem to be around. _They probably attacked me because I looked vulnerable after I fell. I've got to stay on guard_.

He headed back for the rock formation he'd fallen off of. It was the obvious place to start. It made sense that the water crystal would be where he'd landed, but the ground had dried overnight so he didn't have any way to tell where that had been. Tyler looked up, searching for the ledge. He found it, but it was still hard to pick out exactly where he would have landed. Tyler's heart sank as he saw that the area was littered with stones. _I've got to find it._ He started pacing the area, head down to scan the dry ground. Tyler tried to stay calm, but as minute after minute passed, the tension grew until he was almost on the edge of panic. Finally he tried reaching out to it with his power. He wasn't sure if he'd be close enough, but he did feel something. _It's close_. Tyler still wasn't sure where; he wasn't used to the way the water crystal showed up in his senses, so he had only a fuzzy impression that it was nearby.

That was a relief by itself though. The crystal was still around. It hadn't been taken. All Tyler had to do was find it. He stopped for a moment and let out a huge sigh before returning to his search. After moving around and turning in different directions, Tyler decided it was probably closer to the rocks. He kept looking until finally he came right up to the base and caught a flash of blue inside a pile of fallen stones. Some of them were larger than Tyler was; he didn't think he'd be able to shift them, but there was no way he would stop now, not with the crystal so close.

Tyler pushed as far as he could into the gap, sliding forward on his stomach. Once he couldn't fit any further, the vaporeon turned liquid and flowed through the cracks to finally touch the crystal. It started floating when his water surrounded it, but the chain was caught between two stones. Tyler determinedly worked it loose before carefully retreating back the way he'd come.

Once he was out of the crack, Tyler reformed and picked the stone up with his paw. Tears unexpectedly sprang to his eyes as he got a clear look at Claire's gift again. _I almost lost you, Claire. Or…all I have to remember you by. I'm sorry._ Tyler looked up at the sky. _Are you all right? Did I do the right thing?_ The questions still haunted him, and the vaporeon wept as a fresh wave of loneliness found him. _Why can't I do this? It's not the first time I've said goodbye_. In his heart, though, he knew. Every other time—Ryan, Carson and Kara, even Zahna—it hadn't been forever. Or at least, it wasn't supposed to be. He'd always hoped to come back. This time, it felt like Claire was gone. _I can't keep going like this_.

 _But I have to_. That was the only way he'd make it. Tyler took a shuddering breath and pulled the chain over his fins, shaking it into place. He felt safer knowing the crystal was around his neck again, and he needed that reassurance right now.

 _I can't stay in this place. I have to keep going_. Tyler took another breath. He was losing his confidence like this. He had to do something, prove to himself that he was coming closer to rescuing his family, that going off on his own hadn't just been a mistake. There had to be a reason. Tyler knew there was, but it only mattered if he actually had a chance. _Do I?_

The vaporeon shook his head. _I'm going in circles again. Things were so much easier when I was with Claire and all we had to worry about was facing the next opponent. Not_ _ **finding**_ _them._ He looked down again at the water crystal. _Claire gave me this. She believes in me. I have to believe that. I can do this,_ Tyler reassured himself. _I can_.

He took another breath, letting it out slowly. _Okay. I was going to find a bird pokémon and ask them the best way to get out of these rocks._ He decided to go back and wait at the edge of the pond. Pokémon would arrive soon enough.

When he reached the pond, Tyler remembered he hadn't eaten yet, so he found another bush, choosing more carefully this time. The berries were a kind he'd had sometimes, not quite his favorite but not bad either. Then he went back to wait.

Pokémon came and went, but Tyler left most of them alone. They either looked local, or unfriendly, or both. Finally one of the strange round-headed birds he'd seen yesterday floated down to land at the edge of the pond. It stood straight and then leaned down almost as if it was pecking at the water.

Tyler ran around the edge of the pond to where it was, checking his momentum when he got close. He didn't want to seem like a threat. "Hey! I have a question."

The bird stopped and stood up straight again, turning its head to look at him. It didn't answer right away, just staring at him with one eye at a time. "You've come a long way," it finally said.

Tyler wasn't sure what to say to that. "Well…yes."

"You're going a long way."

Tyler nodded quietly, deciding to wait and see where this was going.

"Hmmm…" the bird said, blinking one eye at a time again. Its gaze snapped away from him, then back. "Catchers? You attack them? But don't get caught…interesting. But then, you did before…"

"Um…" Tyler hesitated. "What's going on? What are you saying? How do you know that?"

"I see." It closed one eye. "Back…" the eye opened again and it closed the other "…and forward. You are different. Most of the pokémon here, they always lived here, they will die here. Or be caught. Not you. You came from somewhere, you go somewhere. Catchers both ways. You're always tangled with them."

Tyler thought about it and decided to go along. "That's right. They came and took my family. Now I'm trying to get them back. I just need…to get away from here. I have to find a safe path out of the mountains. Can you help me?"

It nodded. "That's _it_. That's _why_."

After a long silence, Tyler tried again. "Do you know a way down there?" He indicated with his head. "It'll take a few days, and I have to find food."

The strange bird considered him again, then snapped a wing out to the side. "You will go that way. Find the stream and follow it. It will take you where you are going."

That was something. "Um, thanks. I'll do that," Tyler replied.

"Do not thank me. I told you because your path interests me. But you are the one who walks it."

Tyler nodded. "Okay." One more question came to his mind. "What are you? I mean, what kind of pokémon?"

"I am a xatu." The bird gave him a perfunctory nod and went back to sipping water, seemingly ignoring him. Tyler nodded one more time. _I guess that's what I needed to know. There's a stream that way, I can find what I need from there. If I swim, I can even get to the grass or forest or whatever it is out there today._ He looked back at the xatu one more time; it didn't pay him any attention, so Tyler shrugged and set off in the direction it had indicated. _I think that was one of the strangest conversations I've ever had. Can xatu really see the future?_ It had been right about how many times humans had changed his life, so Tyler thought it might be telling the truth. _I guess I've heard of pokémon that can do a lot of different things. Olive can make it just get dark at noon, so…why not this?_

As he left the pond behind, it occurred to him that the xatu hadn't told him how far it was to the stream. Tyler considered that for a moment and then shrugged. He wasn't going to go back and wait. The only way out was forward, and he couldn't stand waiting around any longer. _I'll make it_.

Tyler kept going in a straight line, checking every now and then if he could sense the stream ahead of him. It took the rest of the morning and some of the afternoon as well before he could sense it, but that wasn't too bad. _I was worried it might take days again._ The sky started to cloud over as the day went on and the temperature dropped a little, but it didn't bother Tyler too much. As the vaporeon walked across the barren terrain, he saw a fair number of other pokémon. Most of them were hardy rock and ground pokémon, ones who could last a long time on their own out here, but there were a few others. Birds and bugs seemed to make this their home too, and he even saw a furret peeking out of a hole in the ground once. He was worried about an attack, but he was left mostly alone that day. Tyler was hungry by the time he made it to the stream in the late afternoon, but apart from that he was fine.

Once he reached it, Tyler stopped, disappointed. It was just a small stream, only deep enough to come partway up his legs. It wasn't big enough to swim in. _But at least I have water here, and there should be something to eat around here. I won't have to worry about those for a while._ Tyler turned and started following the water downstream, padding along the bank. It was nice to hear and feel the water running alongside him, though. It made him feel safer.

As he'd expected, it was only a short while before Tyler came across a berry bush. He ate his fill, thinking wistfully back to Claire and her bag. It would be helpful to be able to carry food along with him, especially if he was going to be traveling around a lot now. _I'm all right for now, though. Where there's water, there's food_.

Tyler started seeing more pokémon as he followed the stream's course. There were dens around, especially near the bushes, and the pokémon here seemed a little friendlier. Or at least not hostile. Tyler still got a sense that they were wary of him showing up as an outsider.

It started raining before sunset. Tyler decided to enjoy it and pressed on as far as he had light, though he couldn't help wishing the rain had come the morning after Claire had released him. Once it got dark he found a spot that seemed a little out of the way and lay down with rain running down his fins and sides. He already had enough water, so it wasn't soaking into his skin now. Tyler gave a contented sigh and rested his head on his paws, listening to the patter of raindrops in the night until he fell asleep.

Tyler woke up with the sunrise and set off again. He thought he was still more than a day away from the green area he'd seen, especially since he'd gone off at an angle to reach the stream he was following now. The stream had swelled from last night's rain, though still not enough to let him make up the time by swimming down it. He found a cluster of berry bushes at a bow in the stream, so for the first time in a few days Tyler had a choice of what he wanted to eat. He found some of the red ones he liked on one of the plants. Once he'd eaten, he stopped for a few minutes, looking again at the crystal hanging around his neck. _I'm all right,_ he promised it.

Tyler sighed and set off downstream again. It did feel good to be going somewhere again. The ground was still damp underpaw, though the clouds had mostly spent themselves and there were only a few wisps of white left in the sky. It slowly dried as the morning wore on, and Tyler could see shoots of green peeking out through cracks in the ground. Maybe it wasn't all so barren out here after all.

It was a little after noon when Tyler heard a piercing scream. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The vaporeon's heart skipped a beat—he knew that voice. _Sasha!_ He turned and started running in the direction her scream had come from, going around or over the larger rocks that broke through the ground.

"I'm coming!" Tyler called as he ran. He didn't know what he might find there, but if something was threatening his sister he didn't have any time to hesitate. No time for anything. The scream rang out again and Tyler startled, pushing himself to run a little faster.

As he rounded a boulder, things finally came into view. Three pupitar were menacing the eevee, who was sheltering in a crack between two rocks. The hard-carapaced pokémon were launching like missiles on bursts of air, hitting hard enough that their spikes put dents in the rock. Sasha cringed down as each one came for her. She was out of their reach for the moment, but if they kept up their assault the rock wouldn't hold up.

"HEY!" Tyler shouted. "Get away from her!" The pupitar changed direction and saw him running in. Before he'd gotten close, one of them shot at him with another hiss of pressurized air. Tyler liquefied midstride right as it tore through him. He reformed still on his paws and stumbled, but it had been quick enough that the water crystal hadn't fallen off his neck this time. Fighting one on three, he was going to need it.

He dodged as another pupitar came hurtling at him. It changed direction, but not enough, and it went plowing into the ground behind him. After just a moment there was another spurt of air and it popped upright again. The third pupitar had just finished another run at the eevee, spraying more rock chips. _Get away from her!_ Tyler repeated in his mind, his throat filling with water energy. He skidded to a halt and braced himself, letting loose a blast of water so powerful it rocked him back. _Claire's crystal_ , he thought again. The water blasted the pupitar away from him and Sasha.

Tyler knew he only had seconds before the three pupitar would be coming back at him again, and he set his paws, taking a defensive stance in front of the eevee. Behind him he heard, "Father? You're back!" His heart sank for a moment, but relief came too. _It's not Sasha_. Then another pupitar came hurtling in. Tyler caught it midair with a quick burst of water, hitting it again as it landed a few feet in front of him. The pupitar made a choking noise and flipped awkwardly backwards, bouncing once before it came to a stop with water coming out of the holes in its shell. Tyler focused and put an ice beam into it, freezing it solid before it could do anything else. He heard one of the others coming in, but before he could do anything it caught him in his right side. Tyler cried out and rolled over as its crown of spikes broke his skin.

The third pupitar was attacking the eevee again. Wincing, Tyler held the one that had just hit him down with his forepaws and fired a long stream of water across the crack, deflecting the pupitar again. He looked down just in time to see the pupitar's shell crack open to reveal a pair of jaws, and he scrambled back. _No, I have to get back in front of her._ Tyler sprinted forward, jumping over the pupitar as it inhaled. By the time he'd reached his defensive position it was hurtling his way from behind, but this time Tyler was ready. He whirled left on his paws, whipping the water around him into a crashing wall that smashed the pupitar into the rock beside him. Before he could hit it with an ice beam, the remaining pupitar came rocketing in as well. All Tyler could do was liquefy and let it pass through him. This time the water crystal slipped off his neck when he reformed.

At least now both pupitar were in the same place. With a moment to breathe, Tyler started releasing water. The two pupitar seemed hesitant to blast in again, so Tyler pulled the water around him and waterfalled into them instead. One got out, but Tyler trapped the other, holding it with him in the bubble of water. It snapped at him, but for the moment they were in Tyler's element. Bubbles spurted out the holes in the pupitar's shell and then it stopped, jaws working weakly. Tyler let the water go again and it went splashing outward as he looked for the last of his attackers; the pupitar he'd just drowned lay on the ground, making a gurgling noise. Tyler was starting to realize that they used their breath to move. Take it away and they weren't much of a threat.

The last pupitar had retreated to a safe distance. "Stay away from her," Tyler warned. It didn't seem like it was about to come at him, so Tyler took the opportunity to freeze the second pupitar to the ground. Then he heard it: the slow, thudding footfalls of something massive. Tyler turned back to the eevee, who was panting rapidly and looking wildly around. Then her eyes snapped to his face.

Before he could say anything, the eevee's ears flattened. "You're not Father." She started crying.

Tyler shook his head. "That's not important right now. We've got to run, now. Come on."

"Run where?" the eevee sounded on the edge of panic again.

"Follow me." Tyler saw his water crystal on the ground and picked it up in his mouth before turning back to the eevee. "Come on!" A roar sounded from the other direction and the eevee jumped, galvanized into action. She took off in a sprint, away from the river. Tyler headed at a different angle. "This way!" he called around the chain in his mouth. A glance back confirmed that it was a tyranitar coming after them. They could probably outrun it, but if it caught up to them…Tyler had fought one before, and it had been one of the worst battles he'd been in. Ryan's fire and Miranda's lightning hadn't done much good against it and Alan wasn't on their team then, so Claire had sent him out. He'd taken a beating from the monstrous armored pokémon. He was stronger now than back then, but Tyler didn't want to test himself against this one, not with both his safety and that of the eevee on the line.

Tyler wove back through the rocky terrain at a sprint, breathing heavily. He glanced back frequently to make sure the eevee was still following. She was, but he had to slow down for her several times. _Come on!_ the vaporeon thought, gritting his teeth. The tyranitar dipped in and out of sight, but a few seconds' delay could be the difference between escape and…Tyler shivered. He didn't want to think about what would happen.

They reached the stream again. Tyler looked around quickly, weighing his options. There still wasn't enough water to swim—at least not normally. _What if I use my own?_ Behind him, the eevee had stopped too, darting glances between him and the incoming tyranitar. Tyler took a precious moment to fold his fins and shake the water crystal back around his neck, though there wasn't time to get it securely under his ruff. It would have to do.

"Are you going to fight it?" the eevee asked.

"I hope not. Come on, into the water."

"I can't swim!"

"I can," Tyler replied. There wasn't any more time, so Tyler turned and seized the eevee by her ruff, jumping into the water and running downstream with her weight swinging back and forth from his mouth. She was breathing in quick, frightened gasps again. Tyler concentrated and more water came streaming off his skin. If he could pull enough of it into a swell, he could swim downstream and get away.

"Hol' your breaff!" Tyler ordered through the eevee's fur in his mouth. She was trembling but did as he said, and his paws left the streambed as the water closed over them. With his mouth full, Tyler realized he couldn't use his gills very well either. He shrugged and flicked his tail, sending them rocketing downstream on the swell of water he'd created.

Tyler managed to hold it all for half a minute before his breath ran out. Hopefully that was enough to get away. Before he ran out of air, Tyler let the swell break and went tumbling as the water suddenly became shallow again. The first sound that reached him was the eevee coughing. She sat up in the stream, looking miserable. Tyler looked around, confirming that the tyranitar wasn't still following them, then looked back to her. The water crystal slid down his neck when he bent to pick her up again, so he arched his head back for a moment and got it under his ruff where it normally was. Once it was in place, he pulled the eevee out of the water.

"Are you all right?" he asked the bedraggled eevee. She shook her head, coughing a few more times. "I'm sorry," Tyler said. "Hold still." He wrapped his tail around the eevee and started sponging the water out of her fur. After a few moments she sighed. "What's your name?" Tyler asked her.

She met the vaporeon's eyes for the first time, staring up at him. "Chloe," she said in a small voice.

"What are you doing out here alone, Chloe? Where's your family?"

Tyler started thinking of how they could get back without getting attacked, but Chloe just shook her head and started crying again. "Gone."

He tried to ask her what had happened but the eevee didn't answer, just buried her head in his side, sobbing. After a few moments Tyler gave up and just curled around her, wrapping his tail so she was inside the circle his body made. It wasn't much, but Tyler hoped she'd feel safer. _She called me "Father" earlier. He must be a vaporeon. I wonder where he is?_ And she'd said her family was "gone." What did that mean? Had trainers—Catchers—taken them like they'd taken his? _I'll take care of Chloe if I have to. Even if trainers **don't** mean any harm for the pokémon they catch, it isn't fair that the rest of us get left like this_. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I'll keep you safe."

There was no answer, but Chloe curled up against him with a shuddering sigh. Her breathing slowed down and Tyler realized she had fallen asleep. He looked up at the sun. _She must be exhausted. How long was she out on her own?_ Tyler sighed, wishing he knew what had happened. _At least I can keep her safe for now_. He looked around, carefully not moving. He didn't want to disturb her; if the eevee had fallen asleep in the middle of the day she had to need her rest.

He got a little uncomfortable after a while, but Tyler didn't move. He was getting sore where the pupitar had gotten him too, but he decided to ignore the discomfort and give Chloe a chance to rest. It was almost evening before the eevee stirred again. Tyler got up and stretched stiffly. "Did you sleep well?" She looked up and gave him a little nod, though she still looked tired. He still had questions, but Tyler decided they could wait. "Come on. We can't stay out here all night, and we need to get you something to eat." _Get_ _ **us**_ _something_ , Tyler added silently as his stomach rumbled.

Chloe followed him further downstream, though Tyler noticed the eevee stuck close behind him. They found a lone bush before too long. With the sun going down, Tyler pulled a few berries off, watching as Chloe did the same. They weren't his favorite, but he thought she seemed to like them, as much as she'd shown enthusiasm for anything. She kept darting glances at Tyler, as though afraid he'd disappear too. For his part, Tyler kept his eyes and ears open for anything that might be coming. Nothing showed itself; Tyler thought any pokémon around would have already eaten and returned to their dens before it got this late. _Normally I wouldn't have to worry about this. Normally I wouldn't have to be worried about other pokémon. Everywhere else I've been it's been all of us together, and the only threats were the humans_.

Chloe looked up at him again once she'd finished eating. She looked uncertain and didn't say anything for a minute. Finally she opened her mouth. "Who…who are you?"

"My name is Tyler." He thought for a moment. "I come from a forest, pretty far from here. Catchers took my family, just like you." Chloe burst into tears again. "What's wrong?" Tyler asked.

"Not…my family," Chloe sobbed. "Just Father. And…after he was gone…we weren't safe. Those… _things_ …they…they…" She broke off and buried her face in her paws, still sobbing.

Tyler wasn't sure what to do for a few seconds, then he pulled himself closer and started licking behind Chloe's ears in long strokes, hoping to calm her. It was something Mother used to do. She stiffened at first, but then started to relax beneath his tongue, although every once in a while she would tighten up again, hunching her shoulders against some unseen pain. He noticed that the eevee's ruff and fur were in a mess, so he started straightening it out, carefully working through the tangles with his teeth.

By the time he finished, she was still again, just breathing in and out. Tyler realized her fur still wasn't as neat as it could be, but it was the best he could do. _I've never been the one taking care of someone. It's always been Ryan or Zahna or Claire taking care of me. Or Cora. But I might be the only one who can keep Chloe safe now. I have to take care of her, at least until I can find somewhere safer for her to live_.

He looked away for a minute, out toward the horizon and the sky. When he turned back, Chloe was staring at him again. "Um…Tyler? You're…not going to go away…right?" He noticed she was staring to breathe faster again.

The vaporeon shook his head firmly. "No. I'll stay here. Don't worry about that, I'll keep you safe. Is there…" Tyler felt bad asking, but he had to know. "Is there anyone left back there? Your family?"

Chloe teared up again and took a shuddery breath. "No. They're…Mother….and Trina…they're gone. I ran, they came for me last." She broke down again, and Tyler's heart went out to her. It hurt to see someone else like this. _She's had it even worse than me_.

"Chloe," Tyler said, as softly as he could, "I know…I can't replace your family. I can't ever fix that. But I'll keep you safe. I promise. I've…" Tyler paused. "I've trained. With…Catchers. I can fight probably anything out here."

"Even that big one? By yourself?"

"The tyranitar, you mean?" Tyler sighed. "I'd get hurt, but…yes. And I will, if that's what it takes to protect you. I can't bring your family back, but I can do that."

"So what do we do?"

Tyler felt a little better; Chloe seemed to be past the worst of her pain, at least for the moment. He wondered if this was how Cora had been with him. "For now? We need to get some sleep. Or at least I do. Tomorrow, we can keep going." He looked down the stream. "I was headed this way before I found you. Things are…different out here. Pokémon aren't like this in most places. You should be safer in the forest."

'But what about you? Can't you stay?"

"I have to find my family. Catchers took all of them, and…" Tyler trailed off. "That's not important right now. I'm going to make sure you're somewhere safe first."

"Please don't leave me alone," the eevee pleaded.

Tyler opened his mouth to reply, to reassure Chloe or something, then closed it again and thought some more. "I'm not…for now. I'll take you somewhere safe. But I can't stay out here forever, and the places I have to go are dangerous too. You might get caught if you come." He sighed. "But that's later on. For now, we need to get some rest. We have to get as far as we can tomorrow."

Chloe gave him an unreadable look before nodding and curling into a ball. A small yawn escaped her, and Tyler couldn't help but smile. He sobered as he thought again about what she had gone through. _She deserves a better life than this_. Despite how tired he was, Tyler stayed awake for a little while longer and considered the night around him, watching and listening for any further signs of danger before he finally lay his head down to go to sleep himself. The movement reminded him of the chain around his neck, and Tyler looked down at Claire's gift again. It was the first time Tyler had thought of his trainer for most of the day. _Thank you, Claire. This might have saved my life today. Maybe both of our lives_. He sighed and finally closed his eyes.


	37. Chloe's Story

Tyler nudged Chloe's sleeping form and murmured, "Come on, wake up." The eevee's eyes flew open and she jumped, staring around wildly for a moment. Then her eyes settled on Tyler.

"Oh. I…I thought…" she didn't finish.

"I'm sorry," Tyler told her. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I…" Chloe broke off again, looking down.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Tyler asked, and the eevee nodded, eyes wide. "I'm sorry," he told her. After a moment he hesitantly added, "If you want…you can tell me about it."

She shook her head, but a few seconds later, she said, "…My family."

Tyler sighed, lost in thought for a moment. "You know," he started, "I used to have dreams like that. Sometimes…sometimes I still do." He pulled her a little closer with a paw. "I know what it's like. Like I said, you can tell me if you want."

He felt her exhale. "Thanks." She didn't say anything else though, and the vaporeon decided not to press her any more. He waited a minute while the eevee leaned against him.

Finally Tyler broke the silence again. "Listen…we have to keep moving. I haven't seen the tyranitar or pupitar that were attacking you yesterday, but they might still be around. Or other pokémon. Come on, it's time to eat."

"Okay," Chloe said in a small voice. She didn't move for a few more seconds, but then the eevee got up and followed him back to the bush from the night before.

After they ate, Tyler and Chloe set off down the stream again. Tyler was a little impatient to get out of the desert, but he had to slow down to wait for Chloe. He settled on ranging back and forth, keeping an eye out for any other pokémon who might be hostile. After a while his side started to hurt where the pupitar's spikes had stabbed into him. Tyler hadn't paid much attention to it when they were running away or sleeping, but movement aggravated the injuries and he was starting to feel stiff. _I should have taken care of it last night._

Tyler turned back to Chloe. "We're going to have to stop for a few minutes."

"Why?" she asked, before he could go on.

He turned to show her his side. "I got hit by one of the pupitar yesterday. I didn't pay any attention to it then, but it could be a problem if I don't take care of it."

"Oh." The eevee nodded her understanding. "I've seen…Father…do that sometimes," she finished sadly.

"Yeah," Tyler replied awkwardly. "I'll just…give me a few minutes." He sat down and released water to cover the line of punctures, relaxing a little as they dissolved and the pain went away.

Chloe was watching wide-eyed. "Father never did _that_."

Tyler looked down at the spot. "This? Oh. My trainer taught me how to do this. It's a move called 'aqua ring.'"

"So…you meant that yesterday? You had a Catcher?" Tyler let out a sigh and nodded. "What was it like? How did you get away?"

Tyler thought back for a moment. "Claire—that's her name—was always nice to us. Took care of us and everything. She's not like I thought they'd be. She let me go a few days ago." He sighed. "I still miss her." They were silent for a moment, then he took a guess and added, "You know…wherever your father is…he's probably all right. Probably," he added, thinking back to the ones who'd invaded his forest. He shook his head. "But yeah. Most trainers treat pokémon all right." He looked back down at his side. It didn't feel like it was healing very quickly, so Tyler lay down on his stomach. "Listen. This feels like it's going to take a while, so we have time to talk." He hesitated before asking his question. "I've heard a little about your father. I guess he's a vaporeon, like me. What about your mother? What was she like?"

Chloe took a long, shaky breath, and Tyler was worried he'd taken his question too far. With a few tears in her eyes, the eevee answered. "Mother…um…" she closed her eyes. "She…was…a glaceon. She was always really nice to Trina and me. She felt kind of cold, her paws and stuff, but it didn't matter very much. And Father didn't seem to care." The eevee broke off to sniff loudly. "They would work together, you know. They wouldn't ever get too far away from us, because pokémon sometimes attacked like you saw. They always kept them away. But then a Catcher came. She sent out two pokémon too. She beat Mother and caught Father, and then she left. I don't think she saw me or Trina."

Chloe looked at Tyler, starting to cry again. "We were really scared. Mother couldn't get up, so we helped her get inside our den. And we ran out and got berries for her to eat. She was still really hurt the next day. We went out again in the morning, but one of those pupitar things attacked us. We had to run back. Mother scared it off with her ice powers, and then the next time she came with us, even though she was hurt. All three of them came for us like you saw. Mother told us to run." Chloe broke off and started sobbing, and Tyler put a comforting paw around her. "And then…we heard her scream. She's gone, isn't she?"

Tyler didn't know what to say to that, but he looked down. It sounded bad. "We got away that time," Chloe continued shakily. "We didn't go back, just found somewhere to hide. Trina and me, we don't really know how to fight. Father was saying something about us being able to use powers soon, but I don't know what he meant. We had to sneak out at night to eat, and even then we were scared something would see us."

"And then a few days later we saw another pupitar. I think it was one of the same ones. It came for us and we ran again. It couldn't get us by itself 'cause we were dodging, but then the other ones showed up too, and one of them hit Trina. I tried to help her up, but they almost got me too. They all went for her after that. I heard her screaming too, and then she stopped.

"After that," Chloe sobbed, "I just…ran, as far as I could." Tyler nodded; he'd done that too. "But then yesterday they found me too. I thought I was dead." She looked at Tyler again. "But then you saved me."

Tyler nodded absently, thinking. It sounded like the pupitar and probably the tyranitar too had been coming after the eevees. Hunting them. _Somehow, I doubt they've given up if they kept coming like that before._ He shook his head, pulling himself back to the present, to the eevee looking at him with a mixture of pain and hope. "I guess you should know my story too," he told her. "Like I said, I lived in a forest. It wasn't like out here, most of the pokémon were nice. My mother was—is—a leafeon, my father's a flareon. And I had four brothers and sisters. It was always nice back then, we were safe, Father would train us how to fight and protect ourselves.

"Then one day, everything went wrong. I remember a noise woke me up. It was an arbok outside our den. Mother was there, she attacked it. Father was outside somewhere, on his patrol. The arbok was a Catcher's." Tyler took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Then the Catchers sent more pokémon after Mother. All at the same time. She was trying to hold them off for a minute, then Father came and helped her. He told us to run too. We left him back there in the clearing. He got caught.

"Mother led us away into the trees, but she was poisoned already. Then a nidoqueen came and took my sister Kara, and my brother Carson went after her. After that it was just Mother and my brother Skylar, my little sister Sasha, and me. We kept going, but there were Catchers everywhere. They were all one group, not like the ones you normally see. They just take all the pokémon they can find." Tyler gritted his teeth. "More of them found us. Mother tried to hold them off, but we had to fight a persian. We got away but it came after us, and we all split up. Except Mother. She got caught there too, I think. I never saw any of them again until I found Carson and Kara in a Catcher building. There were a lot of pokémon with them, other ones the Catchers caught.

"But before then, I was on my own. For months. I had my family's den, but I was waiting for them to come back, and no one ever did. I almost gave up, but finally I decided I'd go find them.

"I met a lot of other pokémon. Some of them helped me look in Catcher towns, to see if I could find my family there. I didn't find anyone, but I evolved into vaporeon along the way. A little while after that, an umbreon named Zahna helped me find the place where they were keeping Carson and Kara. I helped them all get out, but I got poisoned in the fight, and then Claire captured me." He paused.

"I thought that was the end for me. Once a trainer captures you, there's no way to get away from them. You can't break your ball, and they can just put you back inside whenever they want to. But she was…different than I thought. Different from the other Catchers, the ones who took my family. I learned a lot from her. And from the other pokémon on her team with me." Tyler stopped again, thinking of Leo, Miranda, Olive, and Alan.

"So, yeah. I trained hard, against lots of different pokémon. Against gyms—those are sort of challenges for trainers. And Claire taught me a lot of things.

"But then—" Tyler paused, turning to more recent memories "—we ran into two of the Catchers who took my family. They're called Rockets. And…I attacked them, until Claire put me back in my ball. Everything just felt wrong after that. She could tell. We were almost to the L…the last challenge, for trainers, but…she just let me go. She gave me this," Tyler said, lifting up his crystal with a paw.

"So that's how I got all the way out here. The Pokémon League is back that way," he added, looking over his shoulder. "It was luck that I found you. I'm glad I did," he added, looking her in the eye. "So that's why I'm out here. I'm going to finish what I started, find Mother and Father and Skylar and Sasha. And that's why I want to take you somewhere safe. The Rockets are bad. They'll catch you if they see you, and they don't care about the rules. They'll use as many pokémon as it takes to beat you. I can't put you in that kind of danger, not after you already lost your family."

Chloe just stared at him, then looked away. "Sorry."

"About what?"

"About…you having to take care of me."

"Don't say that," Tyler said, shocked. "I told you I'm going to keep you safe. I don't know where my family is. But you're here now. I can help you, and that's what I'm going to do. One of my friends told me once, we all have a path to walk in life. You only get lost if you run away, and you're part of that path now. I'll make sure you're somewhere safe, and _then_ I'll worry about my family."

"Really?"

"I promise," Tyler told the eevee. She started crying again.

"S…sorry," she said, wiping at her eyes with the back of a paw. "I just…I thought I was gone back there. There wasn't anyone left to come for me. I was so scared…But then you came, out of nowhere, and stopped them." She was crying freely now.

"Hey," Tyler said, "It's all right." He pulled Chloe closer and she leaned against him, nodding wordlessly into his shoulder. "I'm sorry about your family," he murmured. "Mine's gone too…but not like that. I know what it's like to be alone though." The vaporeon thought back to his conversation with Ryan. _Now I'm on the other side of that, too_. "I can't replace them, but you can be part of my family, if you want." Chloe just started crying harder, and Tyler felt bad. "Sorry…I didn't mean…sorry." He sighed and laid his head down on his paws, glancing back at the eevee leaning against him.

He didn't bother her again until his injuries reformed. Tyler looked at the spot as he reabsorbed the water that was left. There were three marks left on his skin. They didn't hurt, but he didn't know if they would go away either. Maybe it was like the notch from when he was an eevee that he still had in his right fin.

He slowly got to his paws. "Are you ready?" Tyler asked the eevee. She gave him a nod and they started walking again. He looked up to see that it was past noon already, but the vaporeon kept it to himself. _It isn't her fault_. Instead of pacing back and forth like before, he stayed with Chloe, slowing down to pad alongside at her pace.

After a while, Chloe's ears twitched, and she gasped a little. "Tyler?" she said fearfully, looking up at him. "I think…they're coming after us again."

Tyler didn't react. "I'm not surprised," he told her. They've come after you four times, I don't think they'll stop just because we ran again." He still couldn't hear anything, but he trusted that that the eevee could.

"So what do we do?"

Tyler bared his teeth. "Make them."

"You're going to fight all of them by yourself?" Fear and disbelief were painted across Chloe's face. Tyler shook his head.

"Not all of them. I don't think those two pupitar will be hunting again any time soon. And this time I've got the stream." In truth, Tyler wasn't sure if he could win this fight or not, but he didn't see any way to stop their attackers except beating them. And he _had_ trained a lot since the last time he'd fought a tyranitar… Tyler started moving again, purposefully; Chloe had to break into a trot to keep up.

"Where are you going?"

"It's going to come to a fight somewhere," the vaporeon responded. "I want to pick the place." Tyler thought about it as he moved along. He wanted somewhere open, somewhere he couldn't be backed into a corner. He'd probably have to use Acid Armor at some point during the fight, which would mean losing his water crystal again, but Tyler wanted to keep it on for as long as possible. He also wanted somewhere out of sight for Chloe to hide.

The first part was pretty easy; most of the ground was open around the stream, with the exception of reeds here and there and rocks of various sizes on the ground. A hiding spot proved to be the challenge. Finally Tyler had to settle for a cluster of rocks. "Stay here," he told the smaller pokémon. "I'm going a little way upstream to take them on. Stay out of sight until I come back."

"What if…" Chloe broke off, panting rapidly and staring at him.

Tyler closed his eyes for a moment before shaking his head. "I'll come back." He put a paw on Chloe's shoulder and licked behind her ears, hoping to reassure her. Before he could think about it any more, Tyler shook his head again and broke into a lope, leaving the eevee behind.

Tyler came to a stop in an open area and narrowed his eyes, looking around and keeping his ears open. His heartbeat sped up, but Tyler tried to keep his breathing even. _This'll be…my first_ _ **real**_ _fight since Claire let me go_. He felt himself going into combat mode, eyes darting from rock to rock, tail twitching back and forth slightly, and taking those long, careful breaths, just waiting to spring into action. He could feel the stream flowing a short distance away and he stretched out a little with his energy, ready to use it too. The hunting pokémon would be here soon…

It wasn't long until he could hear stomping footsteps and the occasional scrape, but it was longer than he expected before Tyler saw anything. Eventually he fixed his gaze on the largest rock he could see. "Come out and fight," he challenged a little more boldly than he felt. "I'm waiting." Tyler wasn't quite sure what to expect, but after a few seconds the rock cracked and a giant spiked sand-brown pokémon stomped through the rubble. This tyranitar looked more vicious than he remembered, and the vaporeon felt a stab of fear. _What am I going to do?_

 _Vaporeon, get ready!_ Claire's words, the ones she'd repeated so often, came into his mind so clearly he could almost hear them. Tyler took a deep breath, feeling the water crystal around his neck. _I've done this before. There's a way to win this fight_. As the Tyranitar let out a roar, the vaporeon sucked in another breath and started releasing water, feeling it slide off him and form puddles on the ground. He hadn't been in a fight like this, squaring off against an opponent, since before his release, and suddenly everything felt somehow familiar. "I've taken down bigger than you," he said aloud. Almost in reply, the tyranitar sunk a fist into the ground, sending cracks spidering out. Tyler felt the shaking as they reached him. _Not getting close yet. I have to get it closer to the stream so I have the water to use_. Tyler felt a momentary flicker of pride; it was something Claire might have come up with.

He spat a stream of water, aiming at the tyranitar's head. He hit his mark and it splashed; a split second later there was a _pfft_ and something dark came hurtling through the spray. _The pupitar was hiding on its back!_ Already halfway into another attack, Tyler shifted his aim and hit the pupitar instead. It didn't stop it, but it blunted the hit. Tyler rolled with the blow and fired another burst of water at it as he came back onto his paws, hoping to hit it while it was breathing in. To his disappointment, the pupitar popped back and out of the way. He fired again, sending the hard-shelled pokémon into a tumble on the ground. _Now!_ As he fired again, the ground shook and cracked, knocking him off balance as his water attack arced harmlessly into the air. He hit the ground and bounced painfully back up a few inches as the ground continued quaking beneath him. _Behind you, Vaporeon!_

Tyler growled and rose to his paws again as the tremors subsided. He'd forgotten about the tyranitar for a moment. _I can't make another mistake like that_. He turned at the sound of pounding feet to see it nearly on top of him. Instinct took over for a moment and he hunched his shoulders, spitting another spray of water into its face. It faltered and the vaporeon dove right. As the two came around again, Tyler was rewarded with a deep cough. _Got it while it was breathing_. Without waiting for anything else to happen, he blasted it in the chest, this time with a full-power Hydro Pump. It rocked back, but as the attack ran out it regained its footing and charged again. _It's heavier than I hoped_.

Still, things were going according to plan, as much as he had one. The stream was behind him, and the tyranitar was headed for it now. The thought ran through Tyler's mind in a flash as the tyranitar closed in, bringing a clawed fist back. _Come on_.

A moment before it reached him, Tyler liquefied. Already committed to the attack, the tyranitar swung, blue sparks snapping across its claws. Its fist went harmlessly through Tyler, but the electricity surged painfully through his body and blasted him back. Tyler lost his liquid form; his breath came out in a howl of pain as he hit the ground a few feet away, near the stream's edge. He got back up with gritted teeth, already aching from the charge. _That was an electric attack. I didn't think…pokémon like it aren't supposed to be able to learn those moves on their own!_ Fear gripped Tyler again as he realized he'd underestimated the tyranitar. _And I already thought it'd be tough_.

"How did you learn that?" Tyler asked.

Somewhat to his surprise, the vaporeon got a response. "Nothing to say to prey," the tyranitar growled. It charged again and Tyler dodged. _If it can use electricity, I've got to be careful. Time to make some cover_. He drew on his energy—and had to drop it again as the pupitar came hurtling toward him. _I don't have time for that thing_. He whirled and slapped it aside with his tail, sucking a breath through his teeth as his fin caught spikes. The tyranitar moved in and Tyler pounced on the pupitar, which seemed to catch his larger opponent by surprise as it skidded to a halt to turn again. He was getting ready to put an ice beam into the pupitar underneath him when it popped straight up, sending him into the air. As he hit the top of his arc, uncomfortably high off the ground, he heard a cracking noise and spikes and blades of rock thrust themselves out of the barren terrain. Tyler had no choice but to turn liquid again as one went right through him, cutting his water form nearly in half.

On the ground again, Tyler found himself in a cramped labyrinth of sharp-edged rock. He worked himself off the rock piercing through his body, but it took another few seconds before he was in a position to reform so he could see and hear properly. Once he had, Tyler took stock of his surroundings as quickly as he could. The vaporeon couldn't see over or through the jutting stones, and moving around seemed dangerous. On the other hand, that meant his opponents wouldn't be able to see him either. For the moment, he was relatively safe. _This might be a good time for that cover_. Then he heard the tyranitar crashing through the rocks, coming for him again. _It won't work, I'd still have to get out of this and there's no time_. He switched to an ice beam instead, building it up, waiting for the moment the tyranitar would appear in his view.

It came crashing through the rocks in front of him and Tyler let loose with the icy-white energy, pounding the beam right into its chest. It roared aloud like the dragonite had, rearing back and shielding its head with its forearms. A rain of rock fragments reached Tyler a moment later, making him flinch. That was enough to throw off his aim for a moment, and the movement opened cuts in his right headfin, shoulder, and another one on his tail as he scraped involuntarily against the sharp rock all around. There was no time to process what was going on, though; Tyler focused on getting the last of the beam back onto the tyranitar before the power he'd gathered ran out. To his relief, the tyranitar stumbled back for a moment, hunching over and holding its frost-covered chest. _It didn't like that at all. Ice will work here_.

With a moment to breathe, Tyler started picking his way out of the forest of spikes into the area the tyranitar had helpfully devastated into less-hazardous rubble. _Since I have to move slowly anyway, I may as well use this time_. He took a deep breath, focusing on the air in his lungs this time. _I hope this works. I haven't gotten to practice much_. It was a move Claire had had him use mostly against electric pokémon, since their lightning would spread through the mist away from him if he did it right. Tyler sighed as he thought of his trainer, and his breath came out in a thick fog. _At least it works for cover_. He took another breath, turning to exhale upward. A third, and the mist was starting to cloak him.

Just as he was starting to feel safe, the pupitar came ramming into his side, leaving four spike wounds like before and knocking him over. Tyler's breath caught and he flailed for a moment before finding the ground so he could scramble back to his paws. Then he caught the tyranitar thundering in. _This is bad_. Tyler took aim at the pupitar before squinting and blasting it with a quick aurora beam. Through slitted eyelids he saw the fog all around him light up with reflected light. Then he had to run before the tyranitar found him. After a few steps he started to reach clearer air. _It's not going to do any good if I don't finish._ Breathing harder now, Tyler started exhaling more mist. As it thickened again Tyler reached out with his water sense, feeling the droplets suspended in the air around him. There was one large disturbance more or less straight in front of him—his enemy. Forcing himself not to run or move too loudly, Tyler started circling around it, still breathing out more mist.

He finally had a moment to breathe and take stock of the fight and himself, and he didn't like what he found. The vaporeon was wounded all over; his side and tail were already starting to stiffen. Fortunately none of his legs were hurt, but he was still moving gingerly.

A frustrated roar sounded through the fog, accompanied by thrashing noises. " _Where are you?!_ " The thick mist made it sound somehow distant. Tyler kept silent but came to a stop, trying to pinpoint his opponent as he readied another Hydro Pump attack. There was a rising roar; Tyler turned toward it, then…

The ground shook, nearly throwing Tyler off his paws. He stumbled and another tremor hit. Tyler hit the ground hard and gasped. _I forgot it could do that._ A third quake rattled his bones; Tyler hit his head and clenched his teeth to keep from crying out. He turned liquid in time for the next shockwave and managed to relax for a moment. He could sense the disturbance that was the tyranitar moving back and forth, but it didn't seem to be headed in any particular direction. _At least it still doesn't know where I am_. There was another smaller tremor in the ground and Tyler felt the disturbance spreading to the side. It didn't feel like another earthquake wave, so he took a risk and reformed. As things started to settle again, he could tell that the tyranitar was still where it had been. _Maybe it was another stone spike attack_. He shivered; that one had come close.

 _I've got to do something. It's still in control of the fight_. He started releasing water again; the injuries in his side and along the length of his tail dissolved, but Tyler knew he didn't have the luxury of healing against something like this. _Usually I can outlast opponents, but I don't think that'll work against a tyranitar. I've got to take it down—somehow—before I get hurt any worse_. This water was to attack, not to heal. Afraid the tyranitar would start another earthquake if it couldn't find him again, Tyler called out. "Hey! I'm over here, you big…" Tyler trailed off, realizing he wasn't very good at taunts and insults. He got a roar in response. _No more time_. He charged.

He'd switched places with the tyranitar in the last minute or so; now it was between him and the stream. _That means if I hit it hard enough, I might get it in_. As he got close, Tyler pulled all the water he could around him, including the mist. The air cleared to show the tyranitar turning toward him, raising a giant foot to stomp…Tyler took three more steps and then launched diagonally upward at the tyranitar with a full-strength waterfall attack, catching it in the upper chest. His attack was strong enough to actually lift the tyranitar slightly off the ground as he smashed into it, carrying them both into the air toward the stream.

Before they hit, the furious tyranitar reached through the water to seize Tyler with both claws. It squeezed and Tyler liquefied again, slipping out of its grasp. They splashed down in the stream; Tyler reformed a few feet from where it lay on its back, already going into a spin. He swept water up with his tail, turning and bringing it looping over his body to smash down on the tyranitar's head as it tried to get up, spluttering.

"You _stay away from her_ , you understand?" Tyler demanded. The tyranitar started to rise again, glaring murder at him. Before it could get up, Tyler pulled more water around himself and launched on top of his opponent, bearing it down again. It grabbed him again; as Tyler dissolved it electrified its claws, sending an agonizing surge through him. Gasping, the vaporeon reformed and lost his hold over the water around him; it went sliding away and uncovered the tyranitar's face again. It took a deep breath and coughed; Tyler took the chance to wriggle out of its grip and dance away from its grasping jaws and claws. It looked up at him and he put an ice beam into its face, even getting a little down its throat before it snapped its mouth shut and raised its arms defensively. Determined to drown it this time, Tyler jumped back onto the tyranitar and pulled the water back over it, hanging on grimly as it pummeled and thrashed, smashing him in the head and all across his body. There were sporadic shocks too, but they were weakening quickly. _At least—_ Tyler grimaced underwater as another blow hit— _it's not naturally an electric pokémon. I would have had no chance_.

The tyranitar finally stopped struggling and fell limp in the streambed; Tyler noticed it didn't float at all. _Is it over?_ As he let the water slide away, the vaporeon put another ice beam into its face just to be sure. Somehow he didn't think it would be enough to kill it, but at least the tyranitar would think twice before coming after them again.

At last he let his aching body collapse and turned liquid again, sliding downstream—back in Chloe's direction. He wasn't sure if he'd have the strength to walk there, so the vaporeon was grateful for the water. _It's saved me so many times now_. Tyler's heart sank as he realized his water crystal had been left somewhere back there. _I should have known it wouldn't stay on for the fight. I should have left it with Chloe. I don't even know if I'll be able to go back for it_. It had probably fallen off right in the middle of everything; the tyranitar might have even destroyed or lost it with its heavy attacks. Somehow, though, Tyler didn't feel the burning _need_ to get it back this time. _Is my life really changing that quickly? Just because I have Chloe to take care of now?_

Tyler realized he'd reached the area where he'd left Chloe and reformed. There was a sigh in his throat, but it came out as a groan as all the pain from the fight came back. He was now laying on his side in the shallow stream; the current eddied around him. Tyler tried to get up, wincing as numerous injuries cried out at the effort. After a moment he tried again, this time rolling onto his stomach. After a few more tries the vaporeon made it to his paws and shakily climbed out of the streambed, gritting his teeth with the effort. _It got me almost as badly as I got it_ , the vaporeon realized. He'd only barely won. He had to stop again to rest; filling his lungs, the vaporeon called out, "Chloe? I'm…I made it."

A few seconds later he heard pattering paws coming his direction. "Tyler? Where are you?"

"Over here!" he called hoarsely.

The patter shifted direction again and Chloe came running into view. "Tyler!" Then she looked back. "It's coming! It's still coming!" There were tears in the eevee's eyes, and she ran around the vaporeon to shelter behind his back. He opened his mouth to ask what was coming, but then the pupitar came hissing into view like a missile. It hit a rock and went rolling off the ground; there was a pause and Tyler could hear it breathing in. It seemed a little hurt already. _At least I did some good_. Tyler heaved himself to his paws again and tried to hit it with a water blast. All he managed was a weak stream. _I've got nothing left._ Then he found new determination. _We're not done yet. We_ _ **can't**_ _be done yet. There's still…one more thing_ …

Tyler didn't move as the pupitar launched off again. It hit him and he collapsed onto Chloe, who gave a frightened squeak. As he hit the ground, Tyler used his power again to turn liquid and wrapped his water form around the pupitar. _I'm still water, I can use me_.

The pupitar spurted a few bubbles and Tyler felt a sucking sensation as it briefly tried to inhale him. It intensified, almost painful even in his liquid state, and then all at once the suction disappeared and the pupitar's eyes fell shut. Tyler let himself fall back to reform panting on the ground. He closed his eyes for a few seconds until he heard a sound.

Tyler opened his eyes again to see Chloe standing upside-down in front of him. "You're hurt…are you okay?"

Tyler almost shook his head, but he didn't want to frighten the eevee. "I'll…make it…" he panted. "The tyranitar…won't come after you again."

She shook her head and started crying anyway. "It's just like…with Mother. Don't leave me alone," she sobbed. "Please don't leave me alone."

"I won't," Tyler soothed. "Right now, though…I need water." He sighed. "That fight was almost too much for me. I have to heal, build up my strength again. But I did it, Chloe. You're safe from them now."

She shook her head again. "They're not the only hunting pokémon around. If you're hurt then more might come after us." She stopped and looked at him for a few seconds. "I'm scared, Tyler."

The vaporeon sighed inwardly. He didn't know what to do or how to reassure Chloe, especially because he _was_ hurt. As much as he'd been trying to ignore it, he was still sore all over from bruises and shocks, he was wounded in at least a dozen places, he was out of both water and energy, and he barely had the strength to stand up. _If I were still with Claire, she would have taken me out of the fight long ago_.

"One thing at a time," he finally said. "I have to get back to the stream. I'll heal there." He slowly got up again and started moving back. It was a struggle to keep putting one paw in front of another without stumbling and falling, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on. Falling in front of Chloe or even asking her for help would destroy what little sense of safety she had left.

When he reached the stream's small bank, though, Tyler lost his footing and tumbled into the water. He heard Chloe gasp. "No, no, no."

"I'm all right," Tyler managed. The stream was already draining behind him as most of the current soaked into his skin. He waited expectantly for his injuries to start healing, but it didn't seem to be happening like it should. _I'm too drained to even heal properly. At least this water will help a little_. He looked up at Chloe. "What would help…I need something to eat. Something to build my strength up. If you can find a bush around here…and get there and back safely…it would help." He doubted he was doing much to protect the eevee now, but Tyler didn't mention that. Chloe nodded, eyes wide, and whisked away.

He sighed. However much he tried to deny it, this was the worst situation he'd been in since Claire had captured him. _Chloe can't know that, though. I have to protect her somehow_. He found himself thinking longingly of the pokecenters and their healing machines. Even something like this could have been taken care of overnight, or in one day at the most. Having a trainer to take care of him had been so much _easier. That's not how my life is now, though. I have to take care of myself. And take care of Chloe_. While he waited—a little worriedly—for the eevee to come back, Tyler started turning possibilities over in his mind for what they could do next.


	38. A Safe Place

It took longer than he'd hoped, but eventually Chloe got back with a mouthful of berries. Tyler let out a silent sigh of relief at her return. "Are you gonna be okay, Tyler?"

"I think so," the vaporeon told her. "I was thinking about it while you were gone, and I still want to get to somewhere safer." _Even more now_. "I need to heal, but I can keep going the same way I made it here from the tyranitar—in the stream."

"What do you mean? I can't swim, remember?"

"You don't have to," Tyler told the eevee. "Just follow along the bank. I'll turn liquid and just let the current carry me. You might not be able to see me, but I'll turn back every so often to make sure I'm not getting too far ahead."

"Are you sure?"

Tyler nodded from his position in the stream, laying on his side. "We have to keep moving. It's safer in the forest, I promise."

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" Chloe asked again.

 _As long as nothing else attacks us…_ "I will," he said out loud. "It'll just take me a little while to heal and build my strength back up. That was a tough fight." _I beat a tyranitar_. The realization hit him suddenly. _I beat it on my own_. That, at least, was something to be proud of. _But it won't matter unless I can keep Chloe safe. I need to be back at full strength as soon as possible_. "Come on," he told the eevee. "Let's get moving." She nodded after a moment, but didn't move or take her eyes off him. Tyler sighed and slowly dissolved, letting the current carry him. He tried not to disappear completely; Chloe would worry if she couldn't see him. As usual, his vision went blurry, but he was still able to see a brown-and-cream shape that was the eevee. It started to fall behind, but then started moving toward him. That was good. She seemed to be following, so Tyler relaxed for a minute and just let himself drift down the stream.

After a few minutes the vaporeon reformed. The pain hit him again, but at least he was expecting it. Chloe was trotting along, still looking at him. "Are you okay?" he called. She nodded, though Tyler thought she seemed shaky again. "All right then, let's keep going."

He kept up the pace for a while longer, though the sun was sinking in the sky now. Chloe fell behind a few times, so the vaporeon would reform and wait for her to catch up. Once the sun set, he decided it was time to stop. He felt a little better, though not much. "This looks like a good place," he told her.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked yet again. "I'm just worried…you haven't gotten up since the fight, and I can't do anything if something goes wrong."

"I've been saving my strength," Tyler reassured her. "I'm getting better. Look." To prove it, he rolled over and painfully rose to his paws in the water. _I don't know how much more I can do, but I can get up_. His injuries weren't as healed as he would have hoped either; Tyler supposed it was partly because he was so weak, and partly because he had spent most of the time in a liquid state. He lay down again. "I'm going to sleep here tonight," he told Chloe. "As long as I'm in the water, I'll keep healing."

They settled down for the night like that; Chloe curled up on the bank next to a rock. Tyler arranged himself so that water was flowing over his wounds but not his nose and mouth before falling asleep, still near exhaustion.

Chloe's voice woke him. "Tyler?" He blinked his eyes open. It was still dark; even the moon was down, so the only light was the stars. It was still the middle of the night. "I…" the eevee paused. "I can't sleep."

Tyler took a breath. "What's wrong?"

"I keep seeing things. At least I think so…I'm scared."

"What do you mean?"

The eevee just shook her head. "I don't wanna be alone."

"You're not alone," Tyler reassured her. "I'm right here. Just a few feet away."

Chloe's ears were flat against her neck. "But what if…" she didn't finish.

Tyler paused for another moment, unsure what to do. Finally he decided what the eevee needed was to have him there. He remembered how he'd broken down when he got back to his empty den and how Cora had wrapped her wings around him. _Chloe needs that now_. Without another word, Tyler pushed himself to his paws, anticipating the surge of pain from his half-healed injuries and willing himself to ignore it. With some effort, Tyler managed to climb back onto the bank of the stream. "I'll sleep up here with you, okay?"

Chloe looked up at him, her eyes gleaming in the starlight. "Thanks…Tyler."

Something in her voice sounded close to tears again, so Tyler pulled the eevee close with a paw and wrapped his tail around her. "Shhh. Let's get back to sleep." He lay down, a jerky series of movements as he tried to ease the strain and pressure on his injuries. Finally he was safely on the ground and the vaporeon let out a sigh. "Come here," he said, lifting a forepaw. Chloe tucked herself underneath and Tyler curled his long tail around to touch his nose. "Good night, little one," he said, echoing Cora again.

There was a pause, then Tyler heard a sigh. "Good night."

Tyler woke the next morning to a stirring motion between his paws. He opened his eyes and raised his head; his aching muscles still protested softly, but he couldn't help a small smile as Chloe looked back at him. "Did you sleep all right?" he asked the eevee. She responded with a yawn and a nod. "Come on, sleepy, let's find something to eat." He led the way, sniffing around until he found food. By the time they'd eaten and gotten back to the stream, Tyler was starting to tire again. "I'm going to do the same thing as yesterday," he told Chloe. "I'm still pretty worn out—but I want to get out of this place." Chloe gave him a serious nod, Tyler dissolved himself, and they set off down the stream.

They traveled that way for most of the morning until Chloe started flagging again. Tyler called a halt and they went to find another bush to eat from. Tyler gave the eevee a little while to rest afterward, although he wasn't so sure he didn't need it more than she did. After that it was back to traveling. Tyler could see the green of trees off in the distance now, and his heart started to lift. It was good to know he didn't have to stay out in this desert much longer.

He constantly kept an eye on Chloe's progress down the streambank, worried that something else might attack, but they weren't bothered that day. By nightfall, there were trees here and there. _We'll be in the forest tomorrow_ , Tyler thought happily. He spent a little while sitting in the stream covered in water; his injuries didn't heal while he was using Acid Armor, but he didn't see any way around that the way things were right now. Chloe was staring at him; Tyler wanted to spend the night in the water, but he knew he'd have to stay with her that night too, so he climbed out of the water again and curled around the eevee. He noticed it still took her a while to fall asleep.

"Chloe," Tyler began in the morning, "I'm going to walk with you for a while." _I need to get my strength back, and spending all day as water isn't helping_. "We're close now, we can find you a safer place to live. Somewhere you don't have to be watching all the time."

Chloe nodded, her eyes distant. "Okay."

Tyler looked at her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. A few moments later, she added, "I miss Mother. And Trina. And Father. I don't want to be all alone."

Tyler sighed. "I know, Chloe. Life doesn't always give us what we want. Trainers— _Catchers_ —took my family when I was about your age. I've been alone since then." He stopped and thought for a moment. "Well…I guess that's not quite true. There have been a lot of pokémon who've helped me. A pidgeotto named Cora helped me find my way home. Ryan—he's a quilava—he helped me get into a town so I could look for my family there. Some pokémon up on a ridge helped me find my brother and sister." He paused again. "Ryan told me once that we all have a path to walk. Yours isn't over." Tyler turned to look at the eevee. "Don't give up. You can be strong."

"I miss them, though."

Tyler put a paw on her head. "I know, little one."

"What do you think Father is doing?"

Tyler thought about it. "Probably learning about moves and stuff. Humans know a lot about how pokémon energy works. It's how I learned so much."

"Do you think he's thinking about me?"

"I'm sure he is." _He's probably so worried about his family. He'll never know what happened to them_. Tyler sighed. He couldn't tell Chloe that. _I got your daughter away. I'm keeping her safe_. Tyler silently made the promise to the vaporeon he'd never meet. "Come on, let's get going."

Chloe nodded, but as they set out she trailed behind him. Tyler started to feel tired shortly after they started, but he pressed on determinedly. _I've got to build my strength back up, heal…we both need somewhere safe to stay_. He found himself panting for breath, but did his best to conceal it.

"Tyler? Are you all right?"

Tyler sighed. _So much for that_. "It is taking me longer to heal than I hoped," he admitted. "Mostly because we've been traveling the whole time. We just have to make it a little further and we can find a safe place in the forest. Then we won't have to worry so much about being attacked and I can focus on recovering."

"So you're still hurt?"

Tyler nodded slowly. "This never used to be a problem," he added, trying to change the subject. "I ended up like this after a lot of fights with Claire." That part wasn't quite true—Tyler could count the number of times on his headfins, including when the trainer had found him—but that wasn't the point. "Humans have a lot of medicines and things to heal pokémon. And I didn't have to travel when I was hurt, I was in a ball and I could just focus on healing. Maybe I'm getting soft," he joked. Chloe didn't smile, and he tried again. "Listen. We're almost there. It's not as dangerous where we're going, and I told you I'd keep you safe. I meant it. I'll get to the forest all right, and you will too."

It was afternoon when the trees finally closed around them. Tyler was on his paws, but he'd had to go back to drifting down the stream earlier to rest before walking again. He stopped for a moment and just breathed in the scents of the trees. Everything seemed cleaner here after the dry smells of the rocks and dirt they were leaving behind. Chloe was staring around at the trees that left them in a canopy of shade and the softening ground underpaw. After watching her for a minute, Tyler asked, "So? Do you like it here?"

"I never thought there was so much green anywhere," the eevee breathed. Tyler sighed quietly to himself. _She's had a hard life_.

"We can find a place for you to live here."

"By myself?" Chloe turned her big brown eyes on Tyler.

"I don't know," he temporized. "Not for now. I need to build my strength back up too. Come on. Let's find something to eat." He started looking around; it didn't' take too long to find another bush that they ate from. The berries weren't Tyler's favorite kind, but Chloe seemed to like them. He noted hopefully that the eevee seemed more alive than he'd seen her since they'd met, ranging around the clear areas, ears and nose twitching this way and that, although she still stayed away from the shadows.

Tyler felt a little better with the food and the few minutes of rest, so they started looking for somewhere to stay. Tyler wistfully imagined a den or something, but they didn't have one here and he didn't have the strength to make one right now—and that would probably take more than the rest of the day in any case. _I guess we could always do what I used to as an eevee and sleep in a bush. If I can fit_. He angled for some brush.

"Where are you going?" the eevee asked him.

"Just looking for somewhere to rest. I've been trying to keep up a good pace, to get here, so I haven't gotten much chance to heal. Now…" the vaporeon gave a satisfied sigh. "Things are a little more comfortable here. We can rest for a while."

Chloe considered that for a few seconds. "I guess…I'm kind of tired too from all the walking."

Tyler nodded. "We can move on tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be in better shape then. Now come on."

After a while, Tyler found a spot that was to his satisfaction. He would have loved to just submerge in the stream, but he wasn't sure Chloe would be all right staying on her own, even if he was close. He turned and trampled out a circle in the undergrowth before turning to the eevee. "I'm going to rest and heal here."

She nodded and replied, "Okay," before curling up next to him.

Tyler paused. "You might not want to do that. I'm going to be wet."

"I don't care," the eevee replied. "And wet is like…it reminds me of…"

"Your father," Tyler finished quietly. "I get it. Well, if you want to lay next to me that's all right." He lay down; a moment later he felt her scoot up against his back. As he covered himself in water, there was a twitch, and then she was still. Tyler sighed to himself as his injuries dissolved and the aches and soreness that he'd been feeling all day went away.

Nothing else happened that day, and by the time night fell the vaporeon was fully healed. He flipped happily onto his back and stretched, looking up at the moon shining through the trees; there was an answering rustle in the grass beside him. "Oh, sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

Chloe shook her head. "I wasn't sleeping."

Tyler flipped his head around to look at her. "Oh."

She giggled at seeing him upside-down with his headfin flattened sideways, and Tyler's heart lifted again. "Are you feeling better?" the eevee asked him.

Tyler thought about it for a moment. "A lot better. I'm still…I'm not back at full strength yet, but at least I'm not hurt anymore."

"What do we do now?"

"I'm going to eat some more." Tyler's stomach gurgled. "And then I'll keep resting. It helps…and it's dark."

Chloe followed him back to the bush, but didn't take a berry this time. "Aren't you hungry too?" Tyler asked her.

"No," she told him. "I came and got one earlier."

"Oh." She'd gone without him; that was good. Hopefully living here would help Chloe start to feel normal again, and Tyler thought it might be working already.

"Is it really going to be safe tonight?"

"It should be," Tyler replied. "But you can hear better than I can—if you hear anything wrong, you can wake me up."

She did wake him up once about a noise a little way away. Tyler listened to it for a minute and decided it was probably just a paras looking for a new tree. After that he fell asleep again with Chloe curled up between his paws.

Tyler set out again the next day. It was nice; things were still getting warmer, the patches of snow had given way to damp ground, and there were familiar, comforting sounds of pokémon going about their normal routines. "Where are we going now?" Chloe asked him.

"We're not very far into the forest," the vaporeon answered. "And I'd like to find somewhere with a little more water."

"How do you do that?"

"I can sense it," he told the eevee. "It's one of the abilities I got when I evolved."

She was silent, and for a minute there was only the sound of their paws on the soft ground and a spearow chattering at something in the distance. Then she asked him, "What was it like when you evolved?"

Tyler had been expecting the question. " _When_ I evolved?" He shook his head. "Honestly, I don't really know. I was sort of drowning in the river, and I was hitting rocks and things and I couldn't really think about anything. I didn't realize I'd evolved until after I got out of the water. After, though…my energy changed. It was…well, quieter. Not rushing all the time like it did before. Like it finally found the right thing to be." That reminded him of something. "Didn't you say something about that? That you were old enough to start using energy moves?"

"Um…" The eevee gave him an uncertain look. "I don't really know what that is. Energy, I mean. All I know is Father said we were getting old enough for it." She went silent, and Tyler noticed she avoided looking his way for a minute. He thought he knew what was going on.

After a minute he asked her, "Do you feel anything…different? Inside, I mean, different from how you used to feel. Not like sad or scared or worried either."

She finally looked back. "Maybe? There was one weird thing…" She sighed. "It was when I was running away and the pupitar was coming after me. I thought it was gonna get me, but then…I felt all weird, and it…missed. Like it bounced a little."

Tyler wasn't quite sure what that meant. "That's not something I ever learned…" he began thoughtfully. "But…back when I was training as an eevee, all the moves I learned were to make myself stronger and faster. I think there were other ones. Zahna mentioned a shielding move once, but she never showed it to me." _Still, it's somewhere to start. Actually, maybe I should explain a little_ …

"Okay," he began. "You know how pokémon have different powers? Like how I can use water, or your mother could use ice? Those are because of energy. It's just…a power, that all pokémon have inside of them. I don't know where it comes from or why we have it, but it's the same for all of us. It's inside you too."

Chloe gave him a thoughtful nod. "All right. But why didn't my parents tell me?"

Tyler sighed. "It's a little different for eevee. When you're little, you don't have enough power to use, and…I'm not sure, but Zahna told me it's not good for eevee if they push them too hard before they're ready. I think you should start learning about it now, though. It's something you should learn soon, because energy is how you evolve too. It starts building up when you're almost old enough." He stopped and looked at Chloe. "But yeah, usually your parents won't tell you until you're almost old enough for evolution. I guess," he added, wondering how Chloe would take this, "it'll be my job now."

There was silence for a moment. "So then…does that mean you'll stay with me?"

He let out another sigh. "For now, yes. I'm not ready to go off hunting Catchers right now, and this is important for you to learn. We'll find someplace and I'll start training you. At least so you can take care of yourself better."

"Really? Yay!" Chloe practically bounced as she spoke. "So, um, what do I have to learn?"

Tyler thought for a second. "Well, I can tell you some of the things I know about energy while we walk. Zahna told me—"

"Zahna is the umbreon, right?" Chloe interrupted. Then she hunched her shoulders and added, "Sorry."

The vaporeon nodded. "That's right. She did a lot of my training. I mean, we trained with our parents, but the Catchers took them before I ever learned what energy was. I was like you, I discovered mine by accident." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, she told me that my energy would respond to what I was trying to do, like how I could do a Quick Attack—a speed move—by focusing on getting to something. I've also learned that there's a sort of feeling connected to each move. I can teach you the things to do for different moves, but once you've learned how to do one the easiest way to get better at it is to hold onto that feeling, connect it to your energy."

"So that's why you asked me if I felt anything different?"

Tyler gave her another nod, impressed. "That's right. Do you remember the feeling?"

It took a moment before the eevee responded. "Not exactly. I mean, I remember feeling it, but I can't really think of how it felt. But I'd know it if it happened again."

"What about now? If you're getting old enough to evolve you should be able to feel your energy. It's like…I don't know…maybe like something waking up inside you." Tyler tried to remember how his energy had felt when he'd first discovered it; he was pretty sure it was different now that he'd evolved, so he wasn't sure that would help. "It's like…" He sighed and shook his head. "It's been a long time. I don't quite remember how it felt back then. But it should be something inside you. Something different."

Chloe didn't say anything for a minute. Tyler looked over at her a few times, but the eevee seemed to be concentrating on something, so he didn't interrupt her. Finally she said, "I think I feel it."

"Hmmm." Tyler had to think about what to say next. "Let's see…there's one thing you can try while we're walking. It's a speed move—trainers call it Quick Attack. It's the first move I ever learned, and it's really simple. All you have to do is use your energy and focus on getting to something as fast as you can. Okay? Try it."

"All right." The eevee furrowed her brow in concentration, then turned to Tyler again and asked, "How do I do it?"

"Oh. Um, pick something out in front of us. Like a tree or a bush. Focus on reaching it as fast as you can. You can run too if it helps."

The eevee nodded and looked ahead again, taking a deep breath. She took off, sprinting to a tree. When she reached it she turned around to look at him. "It didn't work."

"That's all right," Tyler reassured her. "It's your first try."

Chloe charged unsuccessfully at several other things before stopping and shaking her head. "It's not working. I don't know…" She paused and looked at him, breathing hard with her ruff in disarray. "Maybe…it would work better, with…um, a pokémon?"

"You mean me?" Tyler smiled at the eevee's hesitation. "Well, maybe once we get where we're going. But when I was first learning how to use my energy, I mostly aimed at trees and bushes and things. I only used it for attacking another pokémon once before I started training with Zahna. You should be able to do it."

"Okay," Chloe responded, but she didn't sound very enthusiastic. She made one more halfhearted attempt before falling in next to Tyler. The vaporeon tried to reassure her again, telling her that she didn't have to get it right now and they could try again later. She didn't answer, so Tyler turned his attention to finding a place to stop and hopefully stay. He was getting tired again.

He followed his water sense away from the stream, toward another body he could feel. Without Claire's crystal he couldn't sense that far away, so he knew it would be close enough to reach that afternoon.

Tyler was breathing harder than he liked when they got there, but the spot he'd found seemed like it would work. It was a larger stream—a small river, even, big enough to swim in. There was a satisfying amount of undergrowth around, all leafing out with the arrival of spring. "This looks like a good place," the vaporeon announced. "We might—be here a while, so we should find you a good place for a den." He was still planning to go once he felt well enough, but he didn't know how to bring that up again since Chloe seemed so afraid of being left alone. _She'll be fine,_ Tyler reassured himself. _The pokémon here aren't like she's used to_.

"Okay." The eevee turned to start nosing through the bushes. "Are you coming with me?"

"Not quite yet," Tyler replied. "There's something I have to check first." He started walking slowly around, looking up into the trees. After a minute he saw the round shape of a spearow nest above him. "Hey!" he called. "Anyone there?"

A large, long-necked bird stuck its head over the side. "What is it? Who are you?"

"I just got here," he explained. "My name is Tyler, I just had a question."

"Hmmm." The fearow considered this for a moment. "All right, what?"

"I just want to know if trainers—Catchers—come into this part of the forest much."

The fearow shrugged. "Not really. That all?"

Tyler nodded. "That's all." He turned and left, aware of the fearow's gaze still on him. He came across Chloe almost immediately. "I was just making sure we're safe from Catchers here," he told her. "It sounds like we are." She nodded. "Did you find a good place?"

The eevee shuffled her paws. "Well…not really…I sort of just followed you."

"Are you still scared of being by yourself? It's okay here, life isn't so hard as out in the desert," Tyler promised.

"I know," Chloe responded, but she didn't look quite convinced.

Tyler decided not to press the matter further. "That's okay, I'll come look too."

It didn't take long before they found a suitable spot under a spreading bush, not too far back from the riverbank but not right next to it either. Tyler also noticed several holes around the general area, but he didn't hear any activity inside, so their occupants were probably out somewhere. He noticed Chloe watching him expectantly. _She's waiting for me to start, I guess_. "I don't think we'll be able to do it all today," he told her. "I'm tired from coming here today." _I wish I wasn't, but_... "I can get started, though." He paused. "You might want to stand back."

Tyler moved around the bush to face away from the river. He pulled several branches out of the way, but they just sprang back. _I need a clear shot at the ground_. After thinking for a moment, Tyler used a weak ice beam to freeze some of them, breaking the shoots with a paw. He backed off again and built up enough power to use a Hydro Pump attack, aiming through the hole he'd just made.

The burst of water rocked him back and sprayed mud everywhere. Tyler stumbled a little, but when the water had cleared out of the air, he could see the beginnings of a hole in the ground.

He heard a shaking noise and turned to see bits of mud splattered across Chloe's fur. "That was a lot," she said.

"Sorry," he replied. "I didn't mean to get you muddy."

The eevee giggled. " _You're_ all muddy." Tyler supposed he was.

"Well, it's a start. I'm going to dig as much of the mud out as I can. It's easier this way." He started at it. Chloe started pushing the mud into a pile, keeping it under the bush. By the time they'd finished, the sun was getting low, Tyler was thoroughly tired, and they were both covered in dirt. They had the definite beginning of a den, with a hole Tyler could easily fit into, though there wasn't any underground part yet. "Do you want to sleep down here tonight?"

Chloe wrinkled her nose. "It's still all wet and muddy down there."

"Don't worry, I can dry it out," he told the eevee.

"Okay then." Chloe started for the hole, but Tyler held her back.

"You're still all muddy. Let's get cleaned off first." He headed to the river and stepped in. Chloe followed, but very hesitantly. "Come on," Tyler said. "This river's pretty slow, it's not going to wash you away." She nodded and took another tiny step. "You know, if you're going to live with me you should probably get used to water," he added.

"It's cold," the eevee said. Tyler thought it was fine, but he didn't say anything.

"I'll tell you what. Let's wash off quick, and then I can get you dry, okay?"

"All right," she agreed. Chloe took two more steps and then slowly lowered herself into the water. Tyler was already on his back, enjoying the water and feeling the dirt slide off of his skin. If he rolled a little further, he'd be floating…Tyler sighed. _Probably not tonight. I'm tired and I need to keep an eye on Chloe too_.

Her voice broke into his thoughts. "Okay, I'm clean!" Tyler looked up to see the eevee getting hurriedly out of the water. As soon as she was on the bank, she shook herself off, spraying water all around.

Tyler followed a little more slowly, wishing he felt stronger. "All right, come here." She obediently walked over to him, and Tyler started soaking water out of her fur. It only took a few minutes to get her dry, and they walked back to the hole together. When Tyler got there, he realized that it was still all wet. _I was going to absorb that…but that would mean laying down in the mud again_. "Hmm, maybe we _won't_ sleep in the hole tonight."

He found another bush to stay under, though he thought he would still be visible inside. Chloe curled up next to him and fell asleep almost immediately.

"Are you awake?" Chloe's voice cut through his sleep the next morning.

Tyler opened one eye before flaring his fins as a yawn escaped him. "I am now."

"Oh—sorry," the eevee said contritely. "I just woke up and I was wondering what we're going to do today."

Tyler yawned again, blinking. "What was that?"

"I said, um…I was wondering what we're going to do today. Because you were telling me about energy yesterday?"

"Give me a minute." Tyler lay there for a moment, gauging how he felt. Better, he decided, though the vaporeon wished he could sleep longer. He knew from experience that rest would be one of the best things for getting back to full strength. _I don't think I can get back to sleep now, though_. Tyler yawned again and climbed to his paws. "Let's get something to eat first."

After they ate, Tyler thought for a minute. "Remember what you were asking me yesterday, about trying to use me as a target? I think I'm ready for that today. We have some time." He paused and looked around, casting about for a good area to train in. There wasn't anything in the immediate area, but after looking around for a minute they found a fair-sized open space between trees. "This looks like a good spot," he remarked.

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked, suddenly looking apprehensive. "You're still hurt, aren't you."

"Don't worry. You won't do much to me. I had a tyranitar beating on me a few days ago, I'll survive somehow." Tyler _was_ a little worried about how he would hold up, but he knew he would probably be all right. Chloe trotted a short distance away and then turned around, getting ready to come at him for the first time. "You remember what to do?" Tyler asked her.

She nodded. "Use my energy and focus on getting to you as fast as I can."

Tyler nodded and got ready, crouching down to brace himself. He twitched his tail back and forth a few times for balance. "Okay, come on." Chloe came charging at him, and now that they were head-on he could see the concentration on the eevee's face. A few seconds later she hit with a soft thump. Tyler flexed his legs a little, but he took the impact easily.

"It's still not working," the eevee said. Tyler saw disappointment in her brown eyes.

"Don't give up," he told her. Let's try again." They set up, and Chloe tried several more times to pull the move off.

"It's not working," she said again. "I'm trying really hard, I don't know what's wrong." There was a quaver in her voice.

"Hey." Tyler wrapped his tail around her. "It's okay. You don't need to learn it right now. This is still your first time learning about energy, and I don't know if I'm a very good teacher."

"I know, but…" Chloe wiped her eyes with a paw. "I want to be able to help. I couldn't do anything when I lost my family, or when you came. I don't want everyone to have to protect me all the time."

"You haven't evolved yet. You don't have to be so hard on yourself."

"I know. I just…when you were telling me about how energy works, I felt like maybe things would be different. But I still can't do anything." She looked up at him again. "I wanna learn how, Tyler. My family…they're gone. I have to start taking care of myself, don't I? You said you can't stay long either."

Tyler sighed. "I don't know. I don't want to leave you by yourself, but I can't bring you along either. And you're right, I can't stay forever. Not while the Catchers have my family."

"But you said Catchers aren't that bad."

"These ones are," Tyler growled, looking past Chloe, off into the forest. "They don't care about pokémon at all. They don't follow the rules all the other ones do. They hunt in groups, and they take every pokémon they can find. They've had my family for a long time now. I can't just keep waiting." He looked back down to see a look of surprise on Chloe's face. "Sorry." _I hope I didn't scare her_.

When the eevee spoke again, her voice was small. "I get it. So I have to learn how to take care of myself, so you can go."

 _What am I supposed to do?_ Tyler asked himself helplessly. _I don't want to push her away like this, but I can't stay here. Not forever_. "Let's worry about this later," he said, plunging back into the lesson. "There's one more thing you can try. The first time I did a Quick Attack, I wasn't attacking, I was trying to get out of the way. I don't know…maybe it'll help you. Are you ready to try?"

"I…yeah." Chloe's expression was unreadable.

"Okay. I'm going to spray water at you. I won't do it hard enough to hurt, but you'll get wet if you can't dodge fast enough." He watched the eevee back off to a safe distance. "Here goes," he warned. Tyler spat a narrow stream of water, noting with part of his mind that it was stronger than the last time he'd tried. Chloe broke into a sprint, but Tyler's water hit her anyway. She stopped and opened her mouth, but Tyler forestalled her. "Keep moving. Real fights don't stop just because you make a mistake." Her eyes widened and she threw herself sideways as Tyler fired again, avoiding it this time. _Not bad,_ the vaporeon thought, focused on the training now, _but not a quick attack either. And now you're on the ground_. He sent another stream of water at the eevee, who went rigid as she realized she couldn't avoid it. There was a strange noise, and Tyler's attack glanced off something invisible.

Tyler stared at Chloe, who seemed as surprised as he was. After a moment she scrambled to her paws, seemingly untroubled by her earlier fears. "Did you see that? I did it! That's what I told you about!"

The vaporeon nodded, thinking. "You did. That's not quite what I had in mind, but it worked. And you used your energy, which was the idea." He tilted his head. "Maybe you're not that physical. I learned how to block and dodge and hit and run ever since I was little, and I didn't start using my energy for anything except doing that better until I evolved. Maybe it's different for you." The vaporeon shrugged. "Well, it works for you, so maybe we'll focus on those kinds of moves instead."

" _Those_ moves?" Chloe asked. "What other ones are there?"

"Not so fast," Tyler laughed. "You should work on this one a little more. Do you know how it feels now?"

"Sort of."

"All right, we'll keep practicing. Once you get used to it, you'll be able to do it on your own, not just when you panic. That'll help you feel how to draw on your energy when you want to, too. And once you can do that, I can show you some other things."


	39. Responsibilities

_All in all, it's been a pretty good day_ , Tyler thought. Chloe had done pretty well at picking up her first move (it bothered Tyler more than he thought it should that he didn't know the human name for it), they'd made the new den bigger, even if it was still cramped and wet inside (he didn't want to let it dry out all the way, since the water would make it softer to dig out and hopefully finish tomorrow), and the vaporeon was slowly starting to feel like himself again.

He was curled around Chloe, his body filling the confined space of the den. He'd absorbed the water out of the floor to give her a dry spot, but Tyler knew he would need to clean the dirt off of himself in the morning—not that he cared; as far as the vaporeon was concerned it was another excuse to step into the river. Tyler shifted. The den he'd grown up in had been several times this size, big enough for a whole family. He guessed that the eevee curled up next to him had lived somewhere similar, though she was understandably reluctant to talk about her life. _Poor thing, I don't know what to do for her_. Tyler released his breath in a sigh and tried to get some sleep.

The eevee woke him the next morning. "So what are we gonna do today?" Tyler was pleased to see that the eevee seemed happier that day.

"You seem…" Tyler paused. _If she's feeling better right now, I don't want to bring up how she's been._ "excited today."

"Yeah," Chloe said. "I mean—you were showing me stuff yesterday and it actually worked and I didn't know I actually had powers and—"

"Slow down," Tyler laughed. "I get it." He looked around the unfinished den. "Can you move? I'm kind of stuck here."

"Oh—yeah." Chloe went up the sloping hole and poked her head out, giving Tyler room to get to his paws. "So what are we doing?"

"First, we're going to eat."

"I know _that_ ," Chloe retorted, huffing her breath out. "But what about _after?_ "

"After? I thought we could get this den done. If we work _all day_ we can probably finish," Tyler suggested playfully.

Chloe crumpled. " _All day_? But what about…you know…" She trailed off and stared at him, eyes pleading.

Tyler laughed. "I'm kidding," he assured her. "I think we can finish this morning. I do want to do it now, because then it'll have time to dry out. And then after that I can work with you for a while. How does that sound?"

The eevee perked up again. "Okay! Let's go fast!"

Tyler laughed and nodded again. He checked himself over mentally as they went to find breakfast. All his aches and pains were gone; the vaporeon thought he still felt a little weaker than normal, but that was all. _I'm glad I'm feeling better_. He'd been trying not to worry, but knowing he could take care of himself again was a huge relief. _I guess it's a good thing I decided to stop here with Chloe_. After they ate, Tyler had Chloe wait while he tried something new with the den. The vaporeon went in by himself and filled the whole area with water, hoping it'd be easier to dig out that way. Switching to his gills, Tyler started attacking the back wall, scooping mud out. All the dirt and agitation quickly made the water murky, but Tyler didn't worry too much. He could still find the walls with his other senses. As he continued digging, though, enough dirt built up in the water to make him uncomfortable. _It's clogging up my gills. I didn't think about that_. He released some more water around him to give himself a few clean gulps before retreating to the mouth of the den and air.

Chloe watched as Tyler shook himself, trying to get the dirt out of his gills. "Is everything okay?"

"I think so. Digging underwater didn't work out quite as well as I was hoping… so let's do it normally." He stepped back in the water and started absorbing it again, moving further into the den as the level dropped until it was lapping around his paws. The ceiling seemed lower than before, and Tyler realized all the mud he'd dug out of the walls had settled there. _Well, so much for that_. "Come on," he called over his shoulder. He and Chloe started scooping at the mud, pushing it out of the den like the day before. It didn't take too long to get the floor back to where it had been before, and then they started widening it out again. By early afternoon, Tyler was satisfied with the size of the den, so he took a few minutes to soak all the water he could out of the walls and floor before going with the eevee to wash off again.

"Now what?" Chloe asked excitedly as Tyler dried her off.

"Aren't you tired yet?" he asked, getting an emphatic head shake in response. "Well, I wanted to practice your shielding move some more. Like I said yesterday, so you can make it happen when you want it to and hopefully learn how to use your energy by itself too." Not knowing the human name for Chloe's move bothered Tyler more than he thought it probably should. "Like I said, if you can learn to control it there are some more things I can teach you. And then…we should work on basic tactics. How to fight, not just how to use moves." Tyler had learned that part from an early age; he hoped that meant he'd be able to teach it now.

They went back to the open area they'd used the day before; Chloe looked more and more excited the closer they got. Without being asked, she crossed to the other side and looked expectantly at him. "Okay, ready."

"You sure?" Tyler teased, looking up at the blue sky. "It's an awfully nice day, we could wait for another time."

"Tyler!" the eevee complained. "Come on, I have to learn this!" Tyler noticed a tear in her eye and instantly felt bad. _I guess she's not as over everything as I hoped_.

"Don't worry," he soothed. "I didn't mean it. Are you ready?" he added, changing the subject. "Remember how it felt yesterday, try to hold onto that."

There was a momentary pause, then Chloe nodded. "Okay…I think I've got it."

"All right, here I go." Tyler sent a short stream of water arcing across the clearing. Chloe stood her ground, flinching at the last moment as it splashed across her. She shook herself before looking back up at the vaporeon in disappointment.

"I thought it would work this time. I did like you said."

Tyler considered it for a moment, thinking over the troubles he'd had learning moves. "My guess is, you still don't know how to draw on your energy when you need it. The other times, you were scared or surprised, right?" Chloe nodded. "So you probably used your powers without understanding how it happened. The feeling is only half of it. The other part is _using_ your energy and connecting it to what you want to do. We can practice this until you can just do it by instinct, but there are moves you won't be able to learn that way.

"I mean," Tyler continued, casting about for an explanation, "pokémon have all kinds of powers. But they all come from the same energy. We just use it differently. But if you look at it by itself, it's kind of like this." Tyler drew on his power and formed the very beginning of an aurora beam, holding it there so Chloe could look at the point of light. "You could do this once you learn how. It's not anything special, just energy."

"Can I…" Chloe began hesitantly, "…feel it?"

"I don't know," Tyler said, worried. "This is the beginning of an attack. It might hurt you if you touch it."

" _Please?_ If I can feel it, maybe I can figure out how to feel mine too. I know you won't hurt me."

"It's not about _me_ hurting you," Tyler protested. "This is…well, look." He finished the attack and sent the aurora beam spearing into a tree.

"You changed it," Chloe observed.

"No I didn't, that's all part of the same attack."

"But it was different at first. When you attacked, it all turned colors. It wasn't like that when you started."

Tyler had to consider this. Would it be all right? "Maybe," he admitted. "But we have to be careful." He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed before focusing a little energy into another point, making this one much smaller.

Chloe approached closely, staring at it wide-eyed and tilting her ears back and forth. After a minute, she announced, "Okay, I'm gonna touch it."

"Be careful." Tyler couldn't keep from saying the words.

The eevee nodded seriously. "I will." She took a step back and reached out slowly with a paw. Tyler shifted his focus from the eevee to the energy he was holding out, making sure it was under control, but not _too_ concentrated. He couldn't help imagining Chloe burning her paw, or something similar.

Chloe held her paw close to the point of energy for a moment, then Tyler watched as she hunched her shoulders, laid back her ears, and made contact. He was ready to dissolve the point on a moment's notice, but then the eevee relaxed a little. "It doesn't hurt," she reported. "It feels…kind of normal. Like, it's strong, but it doesn't feel weird like I thought it would." She was silent for another moment. "Maybe a little like you too."

The eevee stood there for a few more moments with her eyes closed before withdrawing her paw. Tyler let the power fade again, noticing that Chloe was taking slow breaths. "I think I can feel it now. In me."

"That's great!" Tyler cheered. "Now the next step is to connect it with the feeling of the move you were using. Can you do that?"

"I'm trying," Chloe replied, not looking at him. She took another breath…then another…and finally sighed. "I can't quite get it. It _feels_ right, but it's not quite working. Maybe if you…you know…"

"All right," the vaporeon agreed and took a few paces back, tailfin dragging in the tall grass. "Tell me when you're ready."

There was another pause. "Okay." Tyler nodded back at the eevee and sent a stream of water at her. This time it deflected again.

"You got it!" he congratulated.

Chloe just nodded, eyes wide. "I think I know how it feels now. Let me try again…" Before Tyler could do anything, the eevee dropped her gaze in concentration. Tyler couldn't tell if anything had happened, but then she gave a satisfied nod. "I can do it! Try me again!" The vaporeon nodded and fired another arcing burst of water. He saw it splash in the air, but then it went through and hit Chloe, who cried out and rolled off her paws.

"Are you all right?" he called, already bounding toward the eevee. She got up and started shaking herself, looking worried again.

"It broke this time." Chloe looked up at him fearfully. "Why didn't it work? I did it right."

"I think…you're probably out of power. When you're just learning, it isn't very strong. The first time I learned how to use my energy," Tyler recalled, "I only managed three moves before it ran out. Don't worry, though, it'll get stronger with practice. And as you get closer to evolving."

"When will that be?"

"Hmm…" Tyler tried to estimate. "Probably not too long. A month or two, maybe?"

"What do you think I'll evolve into?"

"I don't know. Is there something you want?"

"I don't know. Maybe flareon?"

"Hmmm." Tyler turned that over in his mind. "You need a stone for that."

"Where do I find one?"

"I don't know. Well, maybe." Tyler thought about the stone Carson might have still hidden in the park.

"What if I want to be something else?"

"It's different for each kind of eon," Tyler said, recalling conversations with Zahna. "For vaporeon, jolteon, and flareon, there are different kind of stones. To evolve into glaceon and leafeon, I think you have to be in the right place—with a lot of plants, or a lot of ice. Umbreon and espeon come from the moon and sun. And sylveon—I don't really know, but I've mostly heard of eevee evolving into sylveon when they're with humans. I don't know why. Flareon might be kind of hard though, I don't know where to look for evolution stones."

"How did _you_ evolve into vaporeon, then?"

Tyler laughed. "By accident." Then his mind went back to Carson and his fire stone. "You know…"

"What?" Chloe asked.

 _If I take her to find Carson and get his fire stone, she'll end up in the middle of everything. I brought Chloe here to keep her safe_. "Nothing," the vaporeon sighed, shaking his head. "Anyway. It seems like your powers are out for now, but we can still do some different training." He plunged back into the lesson. "I told you I'd teach you how to fight, not just how to use your powers. Lesson one—" Tyler smiled, remembering Father's instruction "—is balance."

He started teaching the eevee the things he'd learned, showing her how to position herself, how to block, how to take a hit, how to avoid one. "You have to be in control of how you move. If you're in control, stay on your paws. If not, don't give up your balance just to keep from falling over. If you can't stand straight, then fall—but do it yourself, roll so you can get back on your paws as fast as possible."

They kept training; Tyler would demonstrate what he was talking about before having Chloe try it. Sometimes he'd strike at her, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough that she had to apply what he was teaching her. When they went back to the den, both of them were a little tired, and Chloe had a few bruises, despite Tyler's efforts to hold back with his attacks.

The next day they went at it again; he had Chloe practice with her powers, and she was delighted to see that she could block more attacks than the last time. "See?" Tyler congratulated her. "I told you your energy would get stronger, especially now that you're using it."

The eevee nodded happily. "When will you show me how to do the other stuff?"

Tyler considered it for a moment. "Well, your limits are still pretty low. A few more days at least, so you can build up your strength. I'm sorry," he forestalled her complaint, "but that's how long it'll take until you have enough power to practice."

"No, it's okay."

When he wasn't training Chloe, Tyler tried to help her become accustomed to life in the forest. He could tell she still worried about going out if he wasn't nearby, so he started introducing the eevee to some of the neighboring pokémon. The area was about what he'd expected, with a fair number of pidgey, spearow, sentret, pikachu, and other pokémon like teddiursa and paras around. There was also a nidoran family in the area. Tyler suggested that Chloe should spend a little more time with the pokémon her age, but she didn't seem as interested in that as she was in training. _At least she knows who they are_. Hopefully that would make the eevee a little less timid.

"What are we doing this time?" Chloe asked Tyler. The two of them had just finished eating and gone back to their training space.

"I think you're ready to try something new," the vaporeon responded. Chloe's ears shot up.

"Really? Okay!" She listened closely as Tyler outlined what he had in mind.

"Remember what I did a few days ago? The point of energy? I want to see if you can pull it off. You know the feel of your energy now, and you've gotten pretty good at making a shield."

"All right." Chloe's voice was determined. "How do I do it?"

"You need to draw on your power. By itself this time, not trying to use it for a shield. Take it and focus it into a point in front of you."

"What do I do after that?"

"We'll worry about that later. Figure this part out first." In truth, Tyler wasn't sure. _I can use it to do an aurora beam, but that's because my energy is close enough to ice already. But…there's got to be something she can do with it_. There were enough attacks that started out that way, Tyler was sure they could come up with one. _I've never really invented a move, though. I don't know how well this will work_.

Chloe got started; Tyler coaxed her along, giving advice where he could. She was having a hard time with it; Tyler didn't blame the eevee though, since energy was still a new concept to her. _I would have had a hard time with this too when I was an eevee. Learning how to do an aurora beam took me almost a week, and that was after I'd evolved and learned to use my powers to control water_.

After a while of trying, Tyler felt a definite shift around the eevee. "That's it," he encouraged. "Now take that and focus it." Chloe didn't respond, apart from taking a deep breath. A fuzzy glow slowly appeared in front of her. It brightened for a moment before fading, and Chloe let her breath out all at once.

"That's hard," she panted.

"Don't worry," the vaporeon assured her, "you'll get used to it. Just rest for a minute." _Now that she's using her power for something like this, it ought to get stronger faster. I know mine did_. After waiting for her to rest, Tyler asked, "Do you feel like you can try again?"

"I think so," the eevee replied.

"All right, let's do it. Even if you can't get it today, it's good strength training—your energy will get stronger if you're using it directly like this."

It took a week before Chloe was able to pull the move off well, and Tyler was getting a little frustrated despite his best efforts. _I left Claire to go find my family. I know Chloe needed—needs—me, but I can't just stay here forever. It's been almost two weeks and I haven't done anything to find the rest of my family_.

 _I can't do two things at once_. Still, he wasn't sure what to say to Chloe. Tyler hadn't brought up the subject since he'd started training the eevee, and any mention of the subject made her anxious and—he thought—a little resentful. _It's not my fault,_ the vaporeon protested silently. _I protected Chloe from the tyranitar, got her here…that doesn't mean I have to take care of her forever. I already had something important to do. I've waited too long to find my family already. Anything could have happened to them in the last year_.

Tyler decided to try teaching Chloe to use her new skill to launch a beam. _If she can do that, she should be able to take care of herself_. Then Tyler could finally go looking for his lost family. It proved to be a dead end. Whatever approach Tyler and Chloe tried, it didn't work.

"This isn't working." Chloe finally spoke the words that they were both thinking. "I'm sorry, Tyler. I know you wanted me to figure it out, but it's been days now. Can you _please_ teach me something else?"

Tyler sighed and nodded. "All right. Maybe now that you know more about your energy, you'll be able to do a quick attack." Chloe gave him a nod and they started, but didn't make much progress. _We're both getting tired of this_. "All right, let's try this again. Remember, focus on reaching me as fast as you can."

Echoing his thoughts, Chloe let her ears droop. "Tyler…can we just stop for today?"

He thought about it for a moment before giving the eevee a reluctant nod. "Maybe that would be best. Come on, let's eat."

Chloe looked away. "I'm not hungry right now. Can I stay here for a bit?"

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just want to be alone for a while."

"Okay." Tyler nodded, surprised. Chloe had been almost attached to his side since he'd found her. _Maybe this will be good for her_. "Um…if you need me, just call."

"Okay," the eevee confirmed. Tyler padded slowly away, glancing back at her over his shoulder. He couldn't help worrying a little. _Maybe I've been pushing her too hard. Or maybe…maybe I'm just pushing her to do too much. I've just wanted her to be ready to take care of herself so I can go…I haven't been thinking about how she feels._

What _was_ the eevee thinking about? He knew she had to be missing her family, though she didn't talk about them much apart from asking what her father would be doing. She'd seemed curious about Tyler's experiences with a trainer too, but she hadn't asked about it much lately. _Maybe because it's part of why I want to leave_. He knew Chloe didn't want to be left on her own. That was part of the problem. _I just don't know what to do. I can't stay_. _Could_ he? Tyler didn't know anything about where his family was. For all he knew, they were with trainers somewhere. Maybe not even in the region. Or maybe they were in some other building, somewhere out across this one.

When he thought about it, Tyler realized how much finding Carson and Kara had been pure chance. _I didn't really know what I was doing. I don't know enough about how the Rockets work. Or what they do. Or why they wanted pokémon in the first place. I don't even know where to start looking, and the trail is cold now. Maybe I_ _ **should**_ _just stay here_.

 ** _No_** _._ Tyler shook his head vehemently. _I made a promise. I gave up my place on Chloe's team so that I could finally keep it. Chloe should be all right. I knew less than she did when I was on my own. She's nearly ready to evolve, and she already knows…well, one move. But that's more than I could do back when I was by myself_.

After a while Chloe appeared in the mouth of the den. It was starting to get dark. The eevee had a berry in her mouth, but she looked preoccupied.

"Everything all right?" Tyler asked gently, looking up from where he lay on the floor.

"I know you want to leave." Chloe didn't look at him. "You want me to be ready to live by myself. I get it. I don't want you to leave…but I know you don't owe me anything. You saved me, all I've done is slow you down." She paused.

"What are you saying, Chloe?" Tyler asked.

"If I'm going to be by myself, I have to start getting used to it. As long as I'm with you, it just keeps reminding me of how much stronger you are. I mean…I'm not saying go, but I can't just go around with you all day. I'm getting tired of training like this…and I can tell you are too. So…I'm just asking for one more week. I'll be ready to be on my own by then, I promise." She fell silent for a few moments. "Then you can leave." Despite her words, the eevee looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry, Chloe," Tyler replied quietly. "It feels like there isn't any good way to do this. It's just…I can't have everything. It's not that I want to leave you behind, but I can't stay here _and_ help my family, and…I made them a promise. I have to keep it." _You promised Chloe's family too,_ a voice in his head reminded him. Tyler closed his eyes and let his head fall to the ground, grunting as it hit. "I just…don't know what to do."

"Sorry." Chloe's voice was quiet too. "But…thanks for saving me."

Tyler didn't spend as much time training Chloe in the days that followed. She asked to train on her own for at least part of each day, and the vaporeon let her. Chloe seemed to find a new determination as the days went by, which Tyler was glad for. _I can't stay forever, but I don't want to leave her unprepared either_. With his help, the eevee finally did manage to do a Quick Attack. At least now there was something she could use to defend herself. He couldn't help worrying, though, that it wouldn't be enough. His fight against the persian, back before his evolution, stood out in his mind. _But she's not likely to end up in a fight like that…I hope_.

At last Tyler felt like he'd done everything he could. The next day would mark the week Chloe had agreed on. That night, the vaporeon was running through what he might do in his head. _I'll follow the road again—well, once I find it. It should lead back to the city where Claire caught me. I know there's another way out, the way I went with her. It should lead to some places I haven't looked_. Tyler remembered the caves they'd gone through. _I'll need to find a way through, or around. Maybe it'll be easier if I'm not traveling with a trainer—the pokémon in there won't be as likely to attack me. Maybe they'll even show me the way_.

 _I wonder how they're all doing? They've had time now to challenge the League, if that's still what Claire's doing._ Tyler shook his head. _I hope they'll be all right without me. It was kind of selfish of me to leave right before the challenge…but I wouldn't have been ready_...

Another thought occurred to him. _I wonder…did Claire have to replace me?_ An image went through his mind of Claire's team, traveling with another pokémon—for some reason he thought of a machoke—and Tyler found he didn't like the idea at all. He'd always felt like he'd meant something special to Claire, and even though he was wild again, the idea that another pokémon would have taken his place on her team wasn't something he wanted to think about. _I wonder…once I find my family…could I go back?_ Going out on his own again was going to be lonely. Even here with Chloe he'd instinctively started to distance himself from her, and it wasn't the same as being with Claire and the pokémon who'd become his closest friends.

 _I wonder…maybe I could take some time to find Ryan first…and Zahna…maybe Carson and Kara will still be on the ridge with her! They would come with me_. That was what he would do first, Tyler decided. He could find his siblings and then they could go together. _Hopefully we'll be able to find Mother and Father and Skylar and Sasha out there somewhere_.

"Tyler? Is everything all right?"

Tyler looked around, his thoughts disrupted. "Oh…I'm fine. I'm just thinking."

"About what?" Chloe persisted.

"What I'll do tomorrow. I want to find my brother and sister first. I got them away from the Catchers before Claire found me, they can help me look for the rest of my family."

"Oh." Chloe didn't say anything else that night, though Tyler didn't think she'd fallen asleep. He considered trying to continue the conversation, but he didn't have anything to talk about—at least, nothing he felt like bringing up. In the end, he lay his head on his paws, curled up with his back to Chloe, and let sleep take him.

The next morning was subdued. Tyler and Chloe went out together and ate, and then Tyler went down to the stream to absorb as much water as he could. Neither of them said much. Tyler was considering the position of the sun as they went. He was pretty sure that when he'd left Victory Road, the evening sun had been behind him. _It's morning, so if the road runs past here it should be away from the sun now_. He drew in a breath.

"Well…it's time for me to go." He looked at Chloe, wondering what her reaction would be.

"Okay." She nodded, but didn't look at him.

"Are you all right?"

Chloe sighed, visibly steeling herself. "Yes."

"Okay."

"—Because I'm coming with you."

Tyler looked sharply at the eevee. "Wait—you can't come with me."

"What am I supposed to do? I don't have a family anymore. You told me that you couldn't take staying by yourself after the Catchers took your family. I don't want to stay by myself either."

Tyler's mind was scrambling for a response. "I told you…that you might get caught."

"I don't care. I want to come. I can keep training with you and get stronger that way. I already learned some things, I can take care of myself—that's why you were training me, right?"

"But…" Tyler tried to respond, but Chloe kept going.

"And you said maybe you know where to find a fire stone. I don't know anything about how to evolve on my own. Please? I want to stay with you, Tyler."

"Chloe...what I've been teaching you is enough to keep you safe out here with the other pokémon, in case a trainer comes. Enough so you can get away. Taking them on is different."

"I know. That's why I started training by myself. I've been working on things."

"Like what?"

In response, Chloe took a deep breath and let it out again, closing her eyes. A point of light appeared, then more, one after another, clustering around her like little stars. She looked up again and narrowed her eyes and the lights streaked into a bush, knocking several leaves loose.

"Swift…" The name left Tyler's mouth automatically. "How did you learn how to do that?"

Chloe looked down sadly. "Mother used to do something like it. She'd freeze sharp bits of ice in the air and then send them shooting out like that. I thought maybe I could do it with my energy." She sighed. "I miss her. I miss all of them. If you leave me here…I'll miss you too. I don't have anyone else left, I don't want the rest of my life to be just missing everyone. Please?" The looked up at Tyler, nervously shifting from paw to paw.

 _What am I supposed to say here?_ All Tyler's concerns came back, his dilemma about whether he should stay with Chloe or leave her behind. _Actually…this might be the best way. She's right, no matter how much she knows or how well she can fight that doesn't mean she'll be all right out here on her own_. He sighed. _I wasn't_.

Chloe caught his attention again; her ears had gone straight up at his sigh. Tyler considered it for a few more moments, aware of her brown eyes on him; he looked around at the trees, hoping inspiration would strike. "Maybe…it would be all right for you to come."

Chloe seemed to simultaneously relax and spring up. "Yay!"

"But you'll have to be careful," the vaporeon added. I might end up fighting trainers. Even if they win they can't catch me, but that's not true for you. If we run across a trainer, you hide. If anything dangerous happens, you hide. All right?"

"All right." Chloe nodded seriously, her eyes wide.

"Okay." Tyler let out a breath. "Are you ready to go, then?" Somehow, he already knew what the answer would be.


	40. I'm Coming

"So which way are we going?" Chloe asked. Tyler looked down at her and felt a pang. _She's so cheerful now. Ever since I found her, she's been terrified of being left alone again_. The vaporeon looked forward again for a moment. _I'm sorry_.

He shook the thoughts away; it was in the past now. "Humans build towns to live in, and they connect them with big paths called roads. There should be a road this way—I don't know how far, but it's there. Once we find it, it'll lead us to a town."

"What's a town?"

Tyler thought for a moment about how to explain it. "Well…Humans make dens, but they're not like ours. We just find places or dig holes, but they build them. They'll take stone and wood and stuff and cut them into the shapes they need so they can make big dens—they call them buildings—above the ground. Most of them are kind of square." Tyler shook his head, trying to get back to the point. "Anyway, they like to live all together, so they'll build lots of buildings in one area. That way they can all get to food and stuff. And then they put up lights and things too, so you can see at night."

"How big are their dens?"

"Human buildings? They're huge. I mean, humans are bigger than us, so they need more space, but one room in a building is big enough you could run around inside. And they usually have lots of rooms. Let's see." Tyler marked a spot in the dirt with a paw. "If we start here, for a normal house—den—it'd be…" The vaporeon walked forward, estimating the side of a house in his head. "About to here. And almost that tall too."

Chloe looked across the distance between them, then shifted her gaze upward. "Wow," she breathed. When Tyler thought about it, he could understand. _I'm kind of used to it, but it is pretty amazing they make things so big_.

"I guess that's what makes humans different," Tyler said thoughtfully. "They can't understand us, don't have our powers…so they learned how to make things instead."

Chloe nodded and they kept walking. After a while she asked him, "What about their pokémon? Why…I don't know. Why do they help catch us?"

"I think there's a lot of things," Tyler answered. "A lot of the time they don't care. Trainers go all over the place, so it's never pokémon you know. And like I said, most of the time being with a trainer is okay. You're always on your way to do something with a trainer, you get stronger…for some pokémon, that's better than being on their own in the wild. And, I mean, apart from families and a few friends, we don't really live in groups. You have the pokémon around you, but we're all living our own lives. It doesn't make much difference if the growlithe you see sometimes gets captured, because you didn't really know them that well and it's not like they're dead…" Tyler shook his head. "But I always hated capturing pokémon. The whole idea. It's how I lost my family."

"How many did you help capture?" Chloe was looking up at him uncertainly.

Tyler sighed. "Only one. I didn't know Claire was trying to, so it was a surprise for me. Somehow I thought she didn't want to catch any more pokémon, just work with us, the ones she already had. I hated her for a while after that…So no, that's not something I wanted in my life."

Chloe sidled up against him reassuringly for a moment. "Don't worry, Tyler. I didn't think so."

The vaporeon let out another sigh, this one from relief. "Thanks."

In the afternoon, the eevee and vaporeon found a human road winding through the trees. It looked familiar, and Tyler wondered if it was the same place where he and Claire had encountered the two Rockets. _Probably not_ , he decided. _That was still almost a week away from the League, and the whole time we've spent coming back has been at Chloe's pace. We're a few days away at the least._

"Which way now?" the eevee asked.

"We'll follow the road to the right. It should lead us to a town. But we'll have to be careful."

"Of Catchers, right?"

"Right," the vaporeon confirmed. "I'll need you to listen for any of them getting close. I will be too, but your ears are better. I have to be able to get out of the way in time."

"But you said they can't catch you, right?"

Tyler shrugged. "That doesn't mean they won't try. I don't want to get in any fights, but…" Tyler gave a rueful smile. "I sort of stand out in the forest. And, well, almost everywhere."

"Oh." Chloe nodded, comprehension dawning in her eyes.

"Yeah. Having blue skin makes it hard to hide if I don't know they're coming."

"I'll listen," the eevee promised. They continued on, shadowing the road from a distance. A few times they heard passing trainers, but Tyler was able to hide each time before they got close. _This area doesn't seem that busy. I guess it makes sense. The only thing I know that way is the League. Which means all the trainers coming this way would be pretty strong. Maybe that means they won't want to catch new pokémon right before the League?_ Tyler grimaced. _Except vaporeon_.

They went on a little further before Tyler decided they'd made it far enough for one day. Chloe did seem a little tired. _She'll get used to traveling with time. I did_. He turned to the eevee. "Before we find somewhere to rest, want to practice a bit?"

"Okay! What are we gonna do?"

"I was thinking about your Swift move," Tyler told her. "I've known some pokémon who can use it, and it doesn't have to go straight. They usually use it to hit opponents who can dodge everything else."

Chloe cocked her ears thoughtfully. "How do I make them turn?"

"I'm not sure," the vaporeon responded. "It's not a move I know. Thinking about it, though…I had powers I couldn't understand at first. I knew I _should_ be able to use them, but I didn't get how. One of them was controlling water. I could touch it, but only where I could see, and only like I was actually moving it with my fins. I still remember the moment I realized what I was missing. I was in a forest like this one, listening to the wind in the trees.

"I watched and I noticed the wind was coming in waves and ripples. I realized I couldn't see the wind, just the trees moving, and I thought if it was water instead of air, I would be able to sense how it flowed. And then I realized I don't need to be able to see in the water. I can feel how it moves." Chloe nodded, looking at him intently. "So I tried it with my eyes closed, focusing on the currents I could feel in my mind. And it worked." An idea occurred to him. "Maybe you should start by asking why you _can't_ do something. Sometimes the only reason is you never thought you could."

They started working, and as Tyler had thought, the eevee was able to make the attack change direction without too much difficulty. She tired quickly, so he found them something to eat and then they lay down with the sun sinking in the sky. After a few moments, Tyler rose to his paws again with the thought that he might patrol around the area to make sure everything was safe. Chloe tiredly nodded when he told her what he was going to do, so the vaporeon paced a wide circle around where she lay. They were far enough from the road that he felt safe from trainers, and none of the pokémon in the area seemed threatening, so he went back to the eevee, told her everything was all right, and settled down to rest.

The next day they came across a town. Tyler told Chloe to stay behind him as they moved in, coming as close as they could without being in sight. After a few minutes of observing the town, Tyler was pretty sure it wasn't what he was looking for. None of the buildings were big enough and he didn't see anyone that reminded him of Rockets. _This is a pretty small town. I don't think anything's going on here. But it might be good to show Chloe some things_.

He started by pointing out some houses to the eevee. "Are those where Catchers live?" she asked.

"Yes…and no," the vaporeon answered. "Not all humans catch pokémon. In fact, most of them don't. You'll see pokémon here who aren't kept in balls, but they don't go with trainers and most of them don't learn to fight. They just live here like everyone else, with human families.

"Trainers, or Catchers, don't really live in one place. They might have homes like these somewhere, but they don't stay in them. Trainers spend most of the time traveling between towns, looking for pokémon who only live in certain areas. When they're in town, they'll stay in the pokécenter."

"What's that?"

"It's a red building. They're pretty big. Let's see if we can find the one here." Chloe followed Tyler curiously as he circled around the town. "It's probably on the other side, where the road leaves. They usually put them close to the edge of town so trainers can find them easily. And I didn't see it on the side we came from."

As he'd thought, they found the red-and-white pokécenter on the other side of town. "It's really big," Chloe observed, wide-eyed.

"In a town like this, it's one of the biggest buildings around. They have bigger ones in cities. But it's an important place for trainers. They have food, places to sleep, and stuff to take care of pokémon."

"What do you mean, take care of us?"

"Well, trainer's pokémon, like I was, end up in a lot of fights. It's good training, but after a full day or so—or just one bad fight—you end up pretty tired and beaten up. They have stuff to treat injuries, bruises, even stuff like broken bones and poison. It's nice." He thought for a moment. "I think that's really why trainer's pokémon get so strong. You can go out and fight until you're beaten, go back to a pokécenter, and be ready to go again the next day. It doesn't take nearly as long to heal and get back in fighting shape, so we get a lot more experience in the same amount of time. I mean, in the wild you're in a fight once a week at the most, and we usually try to avoid them anyway. With a trainer, you might be facing two or three opponents a day, or even more depending on how strong they are."

"That sounds hard," Chloe said.

Tyler shrugged. "You get used to it." _I wonder how Claire's doing? Is she still going to challenge the League? I hope so. I'd feel bad if she had to give it up after she let me go._

 _What if I hadn't left? We would've gone to the League, I would have been there for the challenge. We could've done it, I know we could. And then after that…Claire was always talking about going out and making a difference in the world. Maybe we would have ended up going after the Rockets anyway?_ Tyler shook his head. _I don't know that. Probably not. I don't think humans see the Rockets as a problem like I do. And even if we did find my family that way…_ He glanced over at the eevee crouched next to him. _No one would have been there to save Chloe._

 _We all have a path to follow. Never be afraid to walk it_. The voice of Ryan the quilava came into Tyler's head, and he nodded to himself. _I have to believe I'm doing the right thing. I can't go back—I shouldn't even try. But I can go forward_.

"Are you all right?" Chloe broke into his thoughts. Tyler blinked.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking." Tyler turned his attention back to the town. "There are a few more things I should show you before we move on."

When they left the town behind, Tyler had pointed out a few other places and, he hoped, helped Chloe get an idea of how humans lived.

The eevee brought something else up as they continued. "How do pokémon go live with humans?"

"I don't think it's any worse than being in the wild," Tyler answered.

Chloe shook her head. "No, I mean like _how?_ Like, why don't they get caught?"

Tyler had to think about that one. "Well, trainers don't just catch any pokémon they see. And especially not in town. If you're with someone already, all the trainers will respect that. Trainers act different out in the wild. To them, we don't belong with anyone yet. And…well, most of the time they don't think about us having families. I don't think Claire realized why I wanted to go until the last few days I was with her."

"So if I went into a town and found a human, I'd be safe from being caught?"

The vaporeon sighed. "It's not quite that simple. I mean, you could, but…it's not safe. Not for us."

"What do you mean?"

"Trainers want eons. Partly because we evolve differently from most pokémon. And partly because there aren't a lot of us around. Having a rare pokémon helps trainers win, since the people you fight probably haven't ever faced that pokémon before. Every trainer who ever saw me in the wild tried to catch me. Even once when I was looking around a town like we did today." He sighed. "So you _could_ , yes. But it's a lot easier for common pokémon like pidgey and sentret, since trainers aren't trying to catch them as much. Why?"

"I don't know. I was just wondering."

Tyler nodded and decided to leave it at that. As they traveled, the trees started to thin, giving way to the grassy terrain Tyler remembered. "When I first came out here, I got pretty sick," Tyler remarked. "I hadn't gotten anything to drink for a whole day, and it was really hot."

"Will we be all right?" Chloe asked.

"Don't worry," the vaporeon assured her. "It's still spring, so it's not that hot. And water isn't a problem anymore."

It wasn't until a little while later that Tyler and Chloe heard sounds of a struggle up ahead. Tyler wasn't sure, but he thought he could make out a human voice. _There's a trainer up ahead. And they're in a fight_. Quickening his pace, Tyler announced, "We should go see what's going on."

"Shouldn't we stay away?"

"We won't get too close. I just want to know who that is out there and how strong they are. And what they're fighting. There are some dangerous pokémon out here."

"Are you sure?"

"One of the big differences between fighting with trainers and fighting with wild pokémon is that trainers don't sneak up on you," Tyler told her. "They come up, send out a pokémon, and you have a moment to get ready. I'm a lot more comfortable knowing what's around and seeing if we're going to be attacked."

"Why would they attack us? You said it was safer out here."

"It is, but there are still scyther and stuff hunting. A fight should either get them to come out or go away. And like I said, I want to know what kind of trainers are headed this way."

"How will you know that?"

"Well, if the only thing back there—" Tyler glanced over his shoulder— "is the League, then all the trainers coming this way should have strong teams. If they don't, then we might not be quite where I think we are."

They moved through the grass, crouching low so as not to be seen as they got close. Tyler peeked over the grass, folding his fins as flat as he could. It was a battle, all right. A male trainer was fending off a skarmory and a tauros with his xatu and gligar. As the vaporeon watched, the gligar narrowly evaded a slash from the attacking skarmory before being rammed by the tauros. It disappeared back into its ball. The xatu lasted longer, but the tauros kept charging the trainer, forcing it to stay on the defensive. Tyler was watching with interest. The trainer's pokémon seemed pretty capable. _I wonder why he's using those ones?_ As he watched, the trainer recalled the xatu as well. Tyler's interest turned to concern as the trainer didn't send out any others. _They must all be knocked out already. He doesn't have any pokémon left_. As he watched, the tauros charged again, and the trainer flung himself aside. _They're still attacking him!_ Tyler turned back to Chloe. "I have to do something."

"What's going on?" she asked.

"The trainer doesn't have any pokémon left to fight with, and they're still attacking him."

"Why does he need help?"

"He might not survive out here. The pokémon over there…it's the same thing you were running from when I found you. I can't just leave him." Without waiting for a response, Tyler broke into a run.

He broke through the grass onto the path. The trainer was rolling to the side, cradling an arm. "Let him go," Tyler called to the skarmory and tauros. "He's done."

"Not yet, he isn't," the skarmory snapped.

"He'll die if you don't stop."

The tauros rumbled, "Good."

Tyler gritted his teeth, wondering if there was any way to convince them. "What about his pokémon?"

"We'll let them out after," the skarmory told him.

 _There's no choice_. Tyler stepped forward. "I can't just sit here and watch you kill someone."

"'Someone?' A Catcher?" the skarmory asked. "What, do you like them?"

A bunch of conflicting feelings sped through Tyler at once. "Not…exactly. But they aren't evil like I used to think." He moved closer to the trainer.

"Well, if you want to be with them…" the skarmory said.

"Fine," the tauros finished. It charged. Tyler dodged, not wanting to show his Acid Armor move yet. _Rarer pokémon have an advantage. I've seen both of your styles before_. It was still going to be dangerous taking on both.

"Tyler?" Chloe's voice came from behind.

"Stay back," Tyler called. He didn't have time for anything else, because the skarmory swooped in too. Tyler blasted it with Hydro Pump as the tauros charged again, sweeping the water around to hit her as well. It wasn't enough to stop her, so Tyler liquefied, hoping the spray of water would hide him. He reformed in the tauros's wake. "Quit playing around," he called. "You didn't win against him like this." _Might as well see what they can do…and if I can get them to wear themselves out, I'll have a chance at outlasting them. They were already in a fight_.

"You first," the skarmory shot back. _Okay_. Tyler let loose an aurora beam at the skarmory, slitting his eyes as the light splintered off the metal bird's reflective feathers. He heard his opponents grunt at the dazzling burst of light, and Tyler hurled himself at the tauros. He loosed a torrent of water into his opponent, whirled it into an Aqua Tail attack as he got close, sending it staggering sideways, then pulled the water around him again and launched into a waterfall attack that carried the larger pokémon off its hooves. Tyler had to scramble back as it thrashed its powerful body on the ground, trying to hit him. He turned as the skarmory sent a spray of sharp feathers at him; Tyler tried to liquefy, but there wasn't enough time and several punched into him. Tyler couldn't keep back a cry of pain.

Clenching his teeth, the vaporeon liquefied, and the metal feathers fell to the ground. As he reformed, Tyler started releasing all the water he could. It helped with the wounds a little, but he was ready to use it. _You want to do this? Fine_. Tyler switched to an ice beam.

Before he could launch the attack, a shockwave rippled through the ground, forcing him to drop the attack and concentrate on staying on his paws. The skarmory seized the opportunity and let loose a series of hissing wind blades. Tyler heard Chloe gasp, and he had to liquefy again to avoid the blades. The tauros charged in, a purple glow coming off its horns. The attack caught him and threw him back even in his water form, and he landed a fair distance away in the grass. As he reformed, Tyler realized he was starting to hurt. He pushed through the grass back onto the path, and the skarmory turned, dark energy starting to trail from its wings. _Night slash. Not good. Being liquid won't stop the attacks they're using now. Not completely_. Out loud he asked, "So how did you escape?"

The two attacking pokémon paused. "What do you mean?" the skarmory asked slowly.

Tyler shook his head. "You don't learn all these moves on your own. I should know." He looked the skarmory in the eye. "You had a trainer too."

"Not our choice," the tauros growled.

"I saw my chance and I took it," the skarmory replied. "Stole Karma's ball too."

"Crushed them afterward," the tauros—Karma—added, stomping a hoof.

"We never wanted to be _owned_ ," the skarmory spat.

"That doesn't mean attacking all the trainers who come through here," Tyler pointed out.

"It doesn't mean _not_."

"He's not a threat now. You could just avoid them, you know. That's what I've been doing."

"Except now that you're getting in the way."

Tyler sighed. "I can't leave him to you two." _This isn't going to be good_.

"That's what I thought," the skarmory replied, dark energy spreading along its wings again. Tyler sent a quick aurora beam at it, blinding the skarmory for a moment. He dodged, but it still got him with a wing, leaving a painful slice. Tyler staggered, sucking a breath through his teeth.

"No!" Chloe cried from the grass.

"Keep back!" Tyler warned again. _I need an opening to get that thing with an ice beam_. He broke into a run, trying to ignore the pain in his side. He headed for the tauros, which also broke into a charge. Glancing over his shoulder, Tyler saw that the skarmory was coming from behind. He gathered his water and launched into a Waterfall attack—but instead of engaging the tauros, Tyler launched up and back, hammering into the skarmory and bearing it to the ground. It flailed there, and Tyler caught a few more scratches from its sharp wingtips. He jumped back and the skarmory lifted awkwardly into the air. Just then, the tauros hammered its hooves into the ground, pounding Tyler with another shockwave. He fell.

"NO!" Chloe screamed again. Tyler got up painfully, focusing on healing now. _I can't go down_. As the tauros charged, horns glowing again, he launched himself sideways. A moment later, he took an air slash from the skarmory. Tyler covered that cut with water too. Another earthquake shook the ground; the attacks were coming too fast to retaliate now. He saw the skarmory come for him, skimming low to the ground for another night slash. He heard Chloe scream again, " _NO!_ "

The skarmory plowed into the ground several lengths away. Everything seemed to freeze for a moment as he tried to realize what had happened. He felt a ripple pass through the ground. _The tauros. She was going to hit me again, but not with the skarmory down_. Tyler still wasn't sure how it had happened, but he had to press the advantage. Opening his mouth, Tyler put an ice beam into it, leaving the metal bird stuck to the ground with frost on its wings. He turned back to the tauros, which had gone into another charge.

Tyler saw a glimmer of light in the corner of his eye before a salvo of Swift stars pounded the tauros from the side, sending it off balance. _Chloe!_ He looked over and started. Standing at the edge of the path, half out of the grass, was an espeon.

"Stay away from him!" Chloe demanded. _She evolved! That's why…_ Tyler's mind went back to how the skarmory had dropped out of the air, hammered into the ground by an invisible force. _She did that_.

The tauros was glancing back and forth between the two of them. Based on how she'd fought so far, Tyler was confident he still had enough to beat her one-on-one. With Chloe evolved, the tauros was in a dangerous position, and she knew it.

"That's right," Chloe said. "You're not going to win against both of us. Get out of here."

She let out a frustrated bellow. "Fine." Without another word, the tauros turned and went over to the skarmory, nudging it and helping it up. The metal bird stumbled along, clinging to the tauros's horn with a claw.

As the two pokémon left, Tyler gave a relieved sigh. "I'm glad that's over." _And I hope they get caught_ , he added silently.

Chloe nodded. "What about him?" Tyler turned back to the trainer he'd been defending. He was kneeling down now with his bag unslung and open on the ground. As Tyler watched, the trainer pulled out a medicine spray and a pokéball, releasing a weavile and starting to treat it. "Are you all right?" Tyler called to it.

"Not really," the weavile replied. "Who are you?"

"Well…" Tyler paused. "We saw some pokémon attacking your trainer, and…I couldn't just do nothing."

"You're not quite wild, are you?" the weavile asked him.

"Not exactly," Tyler admitted. "But you need to be careful. The rest of your team is out."

"That's fine with me. But…I'll be careful. Thanks. What's your name, by the way?"

"I'm Tyler, and this is Chloe." Tyler motioned with his tail to the espeon standing next to him. "What about you?"

"Lee. Don't worry about us, though. I'll get him back safe."

"We should go," Chloe put in.

Tyler nodded. "One thing first. Do you know if your trainer has any extra potions?"

"We can check." Lee slowly picked herself up and turned back to her trainer, who had been watching them with interest. Tyler walked closer too, though Chloe kept her distance. Tyler put a paw on the potion spray the trainer had been using, stretching and flexing his tail to show his injuries. There was a glimmer of understanding in the trainer's eyes, and he pulled another potion out of his bag, spraying the spots that Tyler indicated.

When he was done, Tyler stretched again. "Thanks."

The trainer caught his eye. "I don't know why you did it, but thanks for helping me." He extended a hand, and Tyler accepted the contact for a moment before pulling away.

"Be safe," Lee offered.

"You too," Tyler replied. The weavile nodded and Tyler turned back to Chloe. "We can go now. Thanks for understanding." Chloe nodded quietly, blinking lavender eyes.

As they left the path and the trainer behind, Tyler said, "That was close. Thanks for…saving me." The words sounded strange.

Chloe laughed lightly. "You're welcome."

The vaporeon shook his head. "I can't believe you evolved."

"I was wondering when you were going to notice that," the espeon remarked, sounding a little cross.

"I was going to. Just…not in front of everyone." A strange feeling came over Tyler as he said the words.

"I know," Chloe replied quietly. Now that they were alone, Tyler wanted to get a better look at her. She stopped walking and he turned to look her up and down. Chloe was his height now, but all slim lines. The ruff around her neck was gone and her fur had turned lavender, short and silky. A red jewel between her eyes pulsed softly in time with her breathing, and her eyes were almost luminous.

"So…what do you think?" Chloe asked nervously.

"You're…" Tyler paused. The first word that came to his mind was _beautiful_ , but he felt weird saying that out loud. "I think you look…nice. Good. I've never seen an espeon before."

"I've never _been_ an espeon before." Chloe chuckled nervously.

Tyler wasn't sure how to continue the conversation, so he changed the subject. "It's really lucky you evolved when you did."

Chloe dropped her gaze to the ground. "It wasn't luck."

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked, confused.

"I saw you…in trouble, and I just couldn't stand it." Chloe looked back up at him, her eyes shining. "Don't you get it? I evolved _for_ you."


	41. Rockets

"We're stopping here?" Chloe asked.

Tyler nodded; he'd been wanting to. "You just evolved, I thought you might want to take some time to get used to it. How does it feel?"

Chloe took a deep breath and let it out softly. "I feel light." She swayed back and forth. "It's like…moving is easier, somehow. And I can feel the sun up there too."

"That makes sense," Tyler commented. "Espeon is supposed to be a sun evolution."

She nodded. "It feels nice. More than it used to. And…" Chloe hesitated. "I can feel you too."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…I could feel you were surprised just now. And I can tell when you're about to do something. It's how I knew we were stopping."

 _Do you know what I'm thinking?_ Tyler waited experimentally, wondering if Chloe would respond. When she didn't, he repeated the question out loud. "Do you know what I'm thinking?"

The espeon shook her head. "I can only feel…how you're feeling. Like, if you're surprised, or worried. Or if you're about to do something, I sort of know what."

"What do you mean?"

Chloe cocked her head. "When you're about to move. Or attack, I think. Back in the fight after I evolved, I could tell you were going to use an ice beam. But maybe…" she frowned. "That might have just been because I've seen you fight. And gotten to know you."

Tyler nodded, considering what she'd said. "What about the psychic attack you used on the skarmory back there?"

"I…don't really know how I did that. I was scared you'd get hurt, and I knew I had to stop it from getting you, and I just sort of did."

"We can figure that out later, then." Tyler nodded. "So…from what I know about espeon…actually, it isn't that much. But I think you can heal with sunlight. And you should be able to move things with your mind. Do you want to try?"

Chloe took a breath, twitching her forked tail lightly back and forth. "No…I think right now I'll focus on what I can feel."

Tyler nodded, remembering the days after his own evolution. "That can be plenty by itself." Chloe nodded, eyes distant. "All right. Do you want to stay here, or keep moving?"

"I think we can keep going."

They moved on, paralleling the road as the sun started to sink in the sky. Tyler was looking hopefully for the ridgeline to appear, but it was hard to see anything over the deep grass. Chloe would occasionally mention that she felt pokémon nearby; they avoided the ones that seemed hostile, but Tyler would ask some of the friendlier ones how close the ridge and the city were. Fortunately they seemed to know what he was talking about, which meant they were in the right area after all, but it sounded like it would be at least another day of travel.

 **Tyler?** The vaporeon jumped at the voice in his head. _What was that?_

"Sorry!" Chloe blurted out. "I was just…trying something."

"Oh." Tyler shook his head and flicked his fins. "That was just…really weird."

"Sorry. I won't do it again," the espeon said contritely.

"It's okay. You just surprised me, I don't mind if you practice."

"All right." Chloe was silent for a moment, then Tyler heard her voice in his head again. **Can you hear me?** He nodded. **This is really cool!**

Her thoughts seemed excited now. _Can you hear me?_ Tyler thought back.

There was a pause. **Um…a little? You just tried to answer me, right?** Tyler nodded to her. **Okay. Ummm…try thinking, I don't know, louder.**

 _Can you hear me?_ Tyler thought again, this time focusing on the espeon.

She nodded. **Yeah. That time was a lot better**.

Tyler shook his head. "It's going to take a while to get used to you being psychic." He looked at the path ahead of them. "It's getting late. Do you want to stop?"

The espeon was silent for a moment. "I don't know, I'm not really tired yet. Everything's so different—I want to stay awake for now. So we can keep going if you want."

"That's fine," Tyler answered. "It would be good to cover more distance." Even after the battle, Tyler knew he could go a long way.

After a few more minutes, Chloe remarked, "It's a lot, you know. Everything I'm feeling now."

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked curiously.

"My fur is just so _sensitive_. I can feel the breeze going over and under me, I can feel you breathing, I even feel the little ripples when you take a step or move your tail. And then…the breeze feels quiet, I guess. All the ones coming from you feel like you, even when I'm not looking."

"That's what it's like for me underwater," Tyler remarked. "Except for the feelings part. But I can sense things disturbing the water even if I can't see them. I think it's what I noticed most when I evolved. And I think something like that happens to all of us. Once my sister Kara evolved into umbreon," he recalled, "she started knowing where the moon was even though the Rockets had her underground in one of their dens."

"Maybe that's what our evolutions are for," Chloe said thoughtfully. "We can all feel what's going on around us. It's not just…I don't know. Living in…our own bodies? That sounds weird." The espeon gave her head a quick shake. "But like this, it's like I'm part of something bigger now."

Tyler nodded. _Belonging somewhere…_ _ **that's**_ _what I was worried about as an eevee. I thought maybe if I evolved I wouldn't belong anywhere_.

"Are you all right?" Chloe asked.

The vaporeon pulled himself back to the present. "I'm fine, why?"

"You felt sad just now."

Tyler shook his head. "Just something I used to worry about before I evolved. It's fine now."

"What were you worried about?" Chloe questioned, looking over at him.

Tyler sighed. "It doesn't matter." _And it's not something I really wanted to talk about_ , he thought with a flash of irritation.

Chloe dropped back a step, her ears falling back a little. "Sorry. I wasn't meaning to…you know."

"Listen to what I'm thinking?" he asked pointedly.

"Well…" Chloe let her tail trail in the grass. "Yeah. I guess so. I'm really sorry."

Tyler couldn't decide what to say for a few moments. "Why don't we stop for the night," he finally suggested. Chloe nodded but didn't say anything. The vaporeon and espeon turned aside a short distance and trampled out a spot to lay down.

"What are we going to eat?" Chloe asked.

Tyler looked around. "There are plants here we can dig up. Let's see…" It took a minute, but Tyler was able to pick out a few of the ones Ryan had shown him. He worked one free while Chloe set about digging up another. It took Chloe longer and she seemed uncomfortable digging, but the espeon didn't complain or ask for help. Once she had hers, Tyler sprayed it clean for her. "They aren't very tasty," Tyler warned, "but they're food." Chloe nodded and ate in silence.

Once she was done, the espeon looked shyly up at him again. "Um...Tyler…I'm…kind of thirsty too. Can you…" She trailed off.

"Of course I can," the vaporeon answered. He scraped out a little trench and filled it up. The water started quickly seeping away. _I wonder_ …Chloe stepped back as Tyler froze the damp soil with a small ice beam. _Let's see if it works better now_. Tyler filled it again, pleased that it stayed in the hole this time.

"Thanks," Chloe offered, moving forward and lapping at the water.

"You know…" Tyler sighed. "You shouldn't beat yourself up like this. Your powers are completely new, and you're just learning how to use them. I understand that, and I'm not mad at you."

"Really?" The espeon paused and turned to look at him.

"Really. Just remember…just because you pick up on something doesn't mean you should bring it up."

"I'm sorry," Chloe answered. "I won't do it again."

"I don't know…" Tyler paused. "Maybe, sometimes, you _should_."

"When?"

"I can't really say," the vaporeon told her. "But sometimes we need to talk about things we don't want to. I think you'll learn."

"All right." Chloe gave him a nod. "I will." Tyler found a spot to lay down while she finished drinking, listening for anything that might signal danger.

She finished and came over. "Um…Tyler?" The espeon gave him a shy look. "Is…it okay if I still lay down next to you? Like before I evolved?"

"Um…" Chloe's question had given Tyler a surprised, fluttery feeling he'd never had before. "I guess…it's all right," he finished awkwardly.

The espeon hesitated. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to pry, but…" Chloe suddenly didn't meet his eyes. "You felt all different when I asked."

"I don't know. I'll…see, I guess." He shifted a bit. "But thanks for asking." He didn't say anything else as Chloe quietly curled up, facing away from him. She flipped her head over to look back.

"Thanks for not leaving me behind, Tyler."

Tyler twitched his tailfin and nodded. "Good night." He lay his head down but didn't go to sleep, instead watching the starlight shimmer on Chloe's side as she breathed. She didn't move apart from that, but somehow Tyler didn't think the espeon had fallen asleep either.

The next morning, Tyler woke to find Chloe already up and watching the sun climb up into the sky. "Oh, good morning," the espeon said. "I didn't want to wake you."

Tyler shook his head and yawned. "What were you doing?"

"Watching the sunrise." The espeon took a deep breath, and her fur sparkled brighter for a moment. "I think I'm going to like mornings."

The vaporeon laughed. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

"It feels like…" Chloe paused. "It feels like you have a story about that." She glanced at him. "Is that okay? To ask?"

"It's fine," he assured her. "It's just that…well, I've never known any espeon other than you, but one of my teachers was an umbreon. So is my sister." He smiled. "And they both _hate_ mornings. But they'll stay awake all night if they can. So it sort of makes sense that you like sunrise."

"Oh." Chloe unexpectedly smiled at him. "That _is_ funny! Now that I think about it…you're right, too. As soon as the sun went down last night, I started feeling tired."

"Really?" Tyler rolled to his paws. "How tired?"

"Not too much," the espeon replied thoughtfully. "But I could definitely tell the difference."

"All right," Tyler replied. "Are you ready to get going?"

Chloe nodded, and her ears perked up. "Except we still need to eat."

"That's right," Tyler laughed. "You're learning." They ate and Chloe drank, then they were ready to go. "All right," the vaporeon said, "I think the road is this way."

"It's a little more to the left," Chloe murmured.

"How do you know?" he inquired. The grass looked the same in all directions; he'd picked the way by estimating where the sun was— _right._

She glanced up, back and forth. "Because the sun—well—I don't know how to explain it. But that's the direction we came before we stopped last night."

"All right," Tyler agreed. "That should work." They set out again, and Tyler couldn't help feeling anticipation. "We should make it to the town today," he said. " _Finally_."

"I'm sorry I made you wait," Chloe said.

"What?" Tyler asked, surprised. "Oh, I wasn't worried about that. It's just that we've been traveling for a few days now. It's good to finally get where we're going." He thought for a moment. "And don't feel bad about the time I took with you. I know I was impatient before, but I'm glad I helped you. And with you here, and evolved, I feel like maybe I'll have a better chance at rescuing the pokémon the Rockets took."

The espeon brightened. "I'm happy I can help."

"Speaking of that," Tyler continued, "it might be good for you to keep practicing your telepathy with me. When we're close to humans, we'll have to be quiet. It would be good to have a way to communicate without them knowing."

The espeon nodded. **Okay**. They went on, continuing the conversation in their minds. Chloe got better at picking up Tyler's thoughts, although she still had a hard time if Tyler wasn't focusing on her, and as they practiced Tyler started being able to tell when she was trying to. It was a new sensation, but Tyler didn't feel threatened by the espeon.

Along the way, Tyler picked up on a creek and they detoured to it. Chloe got another drink, and Tyler took the opportunity to replenish his water supply, which had been a little low after the battle the day before. _That feels a lot better_. Chloe didn't say anything, but she sent a happy glow. _What was that for?_

 **I don't know. I just felt you were happy…and that made me happy too**.

Tyler turned and gave Chloe a smile. _Thanks._ He looked back at the path ahead. _All right, though, we need to keep going. We're almost there_.

They made it the rest of the way to the town without any problems. A scyther did take interest in them once, but when Tyler started an aurora beam and Chloe surrounded herself with Swift stars, it left them alone. "I didn't want to have to fight that thing," Chloe confided out loud.

Tyler shrugged dismissively. "I've beaten scyther before. I think you'd do all right against it too. Against both of us, it wouldn't stand a chance."

"Do you really think I could fight a scyther?" the espeon asked, looking over at him.

"I do. You're quick, and you can hit pretty hard from a distance. If you can read its moves too, I think you'd give it a good fight." Chloe beamed.

Up ahead of them, Tyler finally made out rock rising above the grass. "This is it," he breathed. "We're here."

The two eons made their way closer to the town. They couldn't see any of it yet, but the road went up and over. They followed it, making sure they were out of sight whenever trainers came near. As they reached the top, Chloe gasped.

The city lay in front of them, stretching almost halfway across the valley. Tyler was pretty sure he could see the park where he'd hidden with Carson and Kara the night they escaped, but it was a fair distance away.

"It's so _big!_ " Chloe said.

Tyler nodded. "This is one of the biggest cities I know about. I got sort of lost here once. Back before I got captured."

"How did you find your way out?"

"I was with my brother and sister. We'd just escaped from the Rocket building. Luckily Carson was hiding in the town before they caught him, so we got to a place he recognized and he led us out." Tyler looked across the ridge. "Over there is where a lot of pokémon live. Carson and Kara might be there too."

"Should we go find out?" Chloe asked. Before Tyler could answer, she added, "Wait. Who are they?"

The vaporeon followed her gaze down the human road. Two humans, a male and a female, dressed all in black…

"Tyler? Are you okay?"

"They're Rockets," he confirmed.

"What do we do?"

Tyler watched for a moment longer. The Rockets were headed away from the city. "I want to see what they're up to. I don't really know how often they come out like this, we can't miss this chance. We'll look for my brother and sister after."

"So…"

"We'll follow them," he decided. "Stay with me, and be careful." The two eons took a chance and ran down the road, reaching the bottom with the Rockets still in sight. Tyler veered off the path, trying to get close to the Rockets without being seen. He came to a stop behind a bush, trying not to breathe too loudly, and looked back to make sure Chloe had made it with him all right. She gave him a tense nod. _Ready?_ he thought.

Chloe cocked her head for a moment, then answered telepathically. **I'll stay right behind you**.

Tyler nodded and crept forward, looking for cover to stay in. The Rockets weren't _too_ close, but the vaporeon knew he'd be easy to spot, so he stayed low to the ground and got behind a rock. They were in earshot now.

 **What are they saying?**

Tyler listened. The voices were a little faint, but he caught the gist. _They're going to get something_.

 **Get what? Pokémon?**

 _I don't think so. More like equipment_.

 **What's equipment?**

Tyler stopped for a moment. Chloe wouldn't have heard that word before. _It's…Well, humans make things to do stuff. Like they make balls. But equipment can be for all kinds of different things. Claire had one called a phone that she could use to talk to people in other places. Or it could be, say, stuff to help them climb_. Tyler shrugged. _They make a lot of things_.

They kept going, shadowing the two Rockets. Fortunately they didn't look back much.

 **It looks like they're going back into the city,** Chloe said.

Tyler nodded. _But look. They're being more careful now. I don't think they want anyone seeing them_.

 **Why not?**

 _That's a good question,_ Tyler thought back. _I don't think all the humans like Rockets. Some of the other pokémon I knew when I was with Claire had heard about them too, and they said they were bad_. They followed the Rockets between two buildings. _It'll be all right,_ Tyler assured Chloe.

 **But what if we run into other humans?**

 _Hopefully that won't happen. But if we do, don't run or act scared. Just stay back and let me handle it. I can probably get them to leave us alone_.

They wove between several more buildings before Chloe touched his mind again. **Tyler? I think—** ** _watch out!_**

A moment later, a ball flew over their heads and released a muk. An arbok appeared on the other side, where the Rockets footsteps were suddenly getting closer.

 **–They know we're here,** Chloe finished.

Tyler backed up to the wall of one of the buildings, looking back and forth. **Tyler? What do we do?** Chloe sounded panicky.

Tyler's mind was flicking through options. There were buildings on both sides, with a pokémon blocking the ways out. Tyler could get on top of one with Waterfall, but Chloe wouldn't be able to follow him. He could try breaking through a wall, but he'd never done it before and it would leave the two poison pokémon open to attack him. _Why is it always poison?_ he thought in frustration.

 **What's always poison?**

Tyler shook his head. _Nothing. Let me think_. The Rockets hadn't had their pokémon do anything yet; they were probably waiting to see what the eons would do. That would change if they didn't make a move, though… _We have to attack,_ Tyler finally answered Chloe. _Get past one of them_.

 **Which one?**

Tyler glanced right, at the arbok and the two Rockets. He took a breath… _Not the arbok. I don't want to fight it unless we have to. This way._ He turned left; Chloe mirrored the movement as he broke into a run. _Muk are slow,_ he elaborated. _We might be able to get around—_

The muk belched a wave of awful-smelling viscous purple liquid at them. Tyler recoiled, narrowly avoiding stepping in it. Instead of continuing to attack them, the muk turned to coat the walls and sides of the alley. _It's all poison. We might make it out, but we won't have much time to get away_. Tyler hesitated. _Other way_. He turned back to the arbok.

Tyler blasted the snake with Hydro Pump, knocking it back. _Now!_ He broke into a run, hoping to get past the Rockets, but it writhed back upright in front of them. Tyler skidded to a halt.

 **Are you all right? You feel…scared.**

 _Don't…like arbok._ Tyler gritted his teeth. _I still have problems with them_. There wasn't any more time to explain; the arbok was rearing back to strike. Too close. Then Chloe was in front of him, the arbok's strike glancing off her shield.

 **I'll fight it, then. You get the other one.** Chloe turned to the arbok. **You, stay away from him.**

Tyler took a reluctant step back. _Don't get hurt_.

Chloe skipped to the side just as the arbok started another strike; Tyler blinked as its head went past her. **Go** , she sent, not looking back from the giant snake.

Tyler turned to the muk. Chloe was quicker than he'd realized; hopefully that would keep her safe. The vaporeon opened with another blast of water. The muk… _deformed_ , but oozed back into shape. Tyler wasn't sure he'd hurt it at all. How was he supposed to he fight a pile of sludge?

"Muk, Disable!" The shout came from behind him. Tyler closed his eyes and turned away, not wanting to see the flash. Maybe that would stop it. He didn't know whether his memory had skipped again, so the vaporeon decided to just try a different way. _Water wasn't doing much anyway_. Tyler approached slowly, ready in case it tried something else. He heard another shout from the Rocket. _Now!_ The vaporeon blasted the muk with an ice beam, holding it out as long as he could without tiring himself out. When the light faded, Tyler's heart leapt. He'd managed to freeze it. _Now, let's see_. Tyler knew he could still move ice with his power, so he pulled the water he'd used on the arbok back to him and used another ice beam to freeze it. The vaporeon spun on his paws, sweeping the block of ice around like it was an Aqua Tail attack and hurling it at the muk. It hit with a drawn-out _crash_ of shattering ice, and Tyler nodded in satisfaction as the muk stayed down.

It disappeared back into its ball, and the trainer sent out a magmar. With a sinking feeling, Tyler went for a water blast. It didn't work. He threw himself to the side, mostly dodging a stream of fire, though his tail got burned. Tyler covered it in water, which gave him an idea. He streamed as much water as he could through his skin, then pulled it along with him as he charged toward the magmar. The fire pokémon hadn't done anything else yet; it seemed to be getting ready. Tyler crashed into it with a full waterfall attack.

The impact carried both of them into the wall; Tyler held the water there, but the magmar opened its mouth and forced out a stream of lava, which bubbled and hissed in the water. The solidified edge reached Tyler, burning his chest and flank. He frantically moved away, but the water was heating to a boil. Tyler let it all go, and as his paws hit the ground again he leaped back. He took a painful breath and hit the magmar in the face with an aurora beam to buy a few seconds to do something about the burn. He covered the area in fresh water, then started using the beginning of an ice beam to cool down his whole flank. The pain ebbed a bit, and the vaporeon let out a sigh.

 **Got it!** Chloe crowed in his head.

 _Good,_ he responded without looking. _But watch out for the next one…_ Again, that was all he had time for as the magmar attacked again. Tyler slashed the lava out of the air with an aqua tail, then had to do it again as his opponent pressed the attack.

 **Tyler!** Chloe called frantically. **I can't read this one!**

 _What do you mean?_ he asked, skipping to the side.

 **I could sense what the arbok was gonna do,** the espeon explained. **But I can't tell anything with—** ** _oww!_** **—this one!**

Tyler heard a crackle of electricity as she finished, and risked a glance back. It was a magnemite or magneton. _That's not good_. Tyler shook his head, trying to clear it. He needed to be able to use water blasts _now_.

 **It's a mind thing?** Chloe broke into his thoughts again. **I wish I knew how to help…**

 _Just keep yourself safe_. Tyler feinted left, then charged right. His tailfin swept into the path of the magmar's lava blast as he changed direction; Tyler bit down on a cry of pain and whirled into another aqua tail as he got in close, knocking the magmar off its feet and sending it rolling into the poison the muk had laid down. As it tried to get up, Tyler hit it in the shoulders and then the face with aurora beams. He spun around and sent a third at the— _definitely a magneton_. It didn't do much, but he hadn't expected it to. Chloe cried out as it shocked her again, and Tyler's heart skipped a beat. _No!_ Behind him, the magmar groaned. It had gotten poison all over it, and Tyler turned to the magneton. _Move back!_ he instructed, heading towards it in a limping run. Chloe backed off gingerly, her lavender fur standing on end.

"Targeting." The magneton spoke in a monotone as it started crackling with electricity; Tyler exhaled a cloud of mist in front of himself before backing off. The lighting attack sizzled into the mist, turning the whole cloud incandescent. The electricity followed the water to the ground; Tyler felt a tingle, but that was all. _Thank you, Claire, for teaching me how to block that_.

A white beam collected the magmar from the poisoned ground, and the Rocket sent out a nidoking like the one Mother had fought so long ago. It appeared in front of them next to the magneton. Tyler let out another puff of mist, noting that the magneton was floating to the side now. _Hit the nidoking before it can do anything!_

He launched an ice beam; a spray of stars came from behind him, and their attacks drove the nidoking back. "Earthquake!" the trainer shouted. Tyler liquefied as the nidoking stomped the ground, but Chloe stumbled. As he reformed, the magneton sent a bolt of lightning arcing through both of them. Tyler sucked a breath through his teeth as the espeon screamed. This was getting bad.

 **No! Tyler! Help—** The vaporeon whirled as Chloe disappeared into a ball, her frantic mental shouts cutting off. He lunged for it—too slow—as it bounced back to the Rocket's hand. Tyler charged, but another thunderbolt stopped him in his tracks, and he collapsed. A ball came for him too. As before, though, it pulled him in, then released him back onto the ground.

The Rocket caught the ball and looked at it in surprise. "Owned already, are you?" Tyler tried to get back to his paws, and the Rocket laughed. "I've got _just_ the thing for that." He pulled a black and red ball from a pocket in his bag and threw it at Tyler. This time when the light cleared, he was in the forest again.

They vaporeon's mind was spinning. _How could he capture me? I already have a ball, this one shouldn't work!_ Tyler started breathing faster as he looked around frantically at the trees. _Wait. Maybe I can break it!_ He didn't feel strong enough for a physical assault, so Tyler instinctively tried a water blast. He still couldn't remember it. _Figure it out in a minute. I'll use an ice beam_. He got one together, but it wasn't very strong. He was happy to see that at least the forest did waver around him. _All right. I should be able to break it if I build more power up_.

 _What then?_ The question popped into Tyler's head. _I'll be back out there with the Rockets. I'm in no shape to run; they'll just beat me up some more and then capture me again. And if I did get away…I'd be leaving Chloe here alone._ He couldn't do that. _If she's being taken by the Rockets, I'm going to be there for her_.

What if he could get out? _I could heal. Once I'm ready, I might be able to break out and steal Chloe's ball. They won't be expecting it…like they probably are right now_. That sounded like a better plan. Tyler finally turned his attention to his burns and aches. _I'll have to be careful of that magneton._ He was in a slight dip, which would help; Tyler released water all over himself, sighing as the pain diminished. _Now…about that Disable_...

Tyler started thinking back, replaying the events in his head to where he'd last used Hydro Pump. Things started to clear up, and the instinctive actions came back to him. Tyler didn't try it though; right now it was time to wait. The vaporeon settled down as his injuries started repairing themselves.

 **tyler?** Chloe's mental voice reached him again, very faintly. **can you hear me?**

The vaporeon's heart leaped. _I can hear you a little._ There was no response. After a moment, he tried again, concentrating as hard as he could on the espeon. _Chloe? I can hear you!_

 **oh, thank arceus! tyler, what do i do?**

 _Can you break your ball?_

 **no. i already tried. tyler…did they get you, too?**

 _They did. But I think I can break out once I heal. Can you sense anything else?_

There was a pause. **i didn't get all of that. this is hard—what did you say?** Tyler repeated himself, focusing harder again. After a moment, Chloe sent, **not much. a few things. you were the only one i could recognize.**

 _What about the Rockets? Can you tell where they're taking us?_

 **i—i'll try.** The espeon went silent for a while after that. When her voice came back, there was an urgent tone to it. **tyler, don't try to break out right now.**

 _Why not?_

 **we're flying!**

Tyler's stomach lurched even though he couldn't feel any movement. If he broke out now, he'd just be falling. _I don't think I'd survive_. Tyler closed his eyes, trying to push the fear away. He was privately glad Chloe couldn't sense any of this. _All right,_ he thought, directing it at Chloe again. _Can you tell me when we land?_

 **i think so** , the espeon responded.

 _One more thing_ , he added. _Do you know which Rocket got you?_

 **i think it was the female.**

 _Okay_. Tyler ran through what he'd have to do in his head. He'd break his ball, find the female Rocket, take her bag…and run. Maybe attack them quickly too. If he could keep them from sending out pokémon quickly enough, it would be easier to get away. _All right. I'll break my ball, knock them down, steal the female Rocket's bag…Chloe's ball should be in it._ Tyler didn't remember seeing the Rockets wearing any balls; they might all be in the bag. _Then I'll run. Find water if I can. They won't be able to catch me in a stream_.

Chloe kept up a conversation with him for a while, but finally Tyler had to cut her off—his head was starting to hurt from keeping enough concentration so she could hear his thoughts. _Tell me when we land, okay?_

 **i will. thank you, tyler.**

 _For what?_

 **for staying with me. for…caring. i wish i could** ** _be_** **with you right now.**

 _Me too._

They were in the air for a surprising length of time; the sun was going down and Tyler was starting to get sleepy by the time Chloe contacted him again. **tyler…i think we're landing.**

Tyler waited a few moments. _Are we on the ground?_

 **i'm pretty sure we are.**

Tyler waited a little longer. He didn't want to break out until whatever flying pokémon the Rockets had were back in their balls. _All right,_ he sent. _Here I go_.

 **all right.**

Tyler got to his paws, building up a Hydro Pump. He aimed it into the ground; as he let the water loose, the forest shattered into white around him. Something soft constricted him—fabric—before bursting open. Tyler tumbled to the ground, pokéballs bouncing off the stone around him. He heard shouts, but there was no time to listen to what they were saying. He was in a town on a stone street. Tyler picked out the female Rocket, noticing as he did that none of the other humans around seemed to be Rockets. That was good. He took hold of the leftover water that had exploded out of the ball with him, whirling it up around him and knocking over both Rockets in a spray of water and pokéballs. Before they could do anything else, he pounced on the female. It felt oddly similar to the last time he'd encountered Rockets, but this time he was trying to get away.

Tyler seized the strap of her bag in his jaws and quickly froze it before taking the handle and yanking it away from her. The strap broke and Tyler took off running, stretching his senses out for water. He heard a pokéball open behind him and turned a corner, putting a building between himself and his pursuers. Running flat out with the bag in his mouth, Tyler found water out ahead and to the right. To his elation, it seemed like a stream too, not a closed pond. He reached another corner and turned right, swerving between buildings to get to the water. He didn't recognize any of the layout of the town, but that didn't matter. He knew which way he was going.

After another minute of running, Tyler slid into the river. It wasn't huge, but big enough to swim in. A honchkrow appeared over one of the buildings behind him, but it was too late. Channeling his power into the currents, the vaporeon sent himself rocketing away.

Tyler put a good distance between himself and the town before leaving the water again. The terrain was a mix of large and small trees, but they weren't very dense. Tyler found a spot that seemed to be fairly hidden and finally let the bag drop. "All right," he murmured, "let's see what we have here."

Once he'd pawed the bag open, Tyler found several large pockets inside. Several had odd machines and things in them; Tyler ignored those. There were a few medicines too, but he couldn't work the sprays. One pocket was full of red-and-white pokéballs. Tyler looked at how many there were and decided they were probably empty. Another pocket had a smaller number, with a few different designs. Tyler didn't see any of the black ones, which was a relief. He rolled them out with a paw and considered them. One would probably have Chloe. There might be a few other captured pokémon too. The rest would be the Rocket's team. _I'll have to be careful with those_. After looking them all over again, Tyler selected one at random and rolled it toward himself before pressing the button with a paw. Nothing happened. _Wait. I think I know what to do_. Tyler held the button down for a moment, and the pokéball expanded to full size under his paw. He pressed it again.

This time it opened. The beam of light deposited a fearow on the ground in front of him. "Who are you? Where's Lyssa?" the bird asked.

"My name's Tyler. Your trainer attacked my…friend and I. She captured her, so I had to steal her pokéballs. If you try to stop me," he added, "I'll put you back in your ball."

The fearow shook its head. "I don't care. In fact…this isn't the worst thing in the world." It fixed him with one beady eye. "I'm leaving. Don't try to stop me." Tyler shrugged and rolled the ball to the side, getting an aurora beam ready just in case. The fearow, though, took to the air. "See you. And…thanks." Without waiting for a response, it flew off.

Tyler watched it go, then turned to the next ball. When he opened it, the magneton appeared. It immediately turned to face him and started sparking. "Initiating Discharge." Tyler quickly put it back, his heart beating faster.

Tyler looked at the three remaining balls. _Let's try this one_. The ball lit up white, and Chloe appeared, lying on the ground. "Tyler!" She got to her paws and ran over, laying her head across his shoulders. "I'm so glad…I thought maybe I wouldn't ever see you again."

Tyler matched the gesture, and they shared the contact for a few moments. "I couldn't let that happen," he breathed.

A tear slid down his shoulder. **Thank you**.

Tyler leaned a little closer into Chloe's neck. _Of course_.

After a few more moments they broke apart. The espeon looked around. "Where are we?"

"Somewhere new. There's a town that way." He pointed up the river with a paw. "I didn't recognize it." He looked back at Chloe. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," the espeon responded. "Still sore from getting shocked. And I'm kind of tired…and hungry."

Tyler's stomach growled, and he realized he hadn't eaten almost all day either. "Let's see…maybe the trainer had food in her bag." He sniffed it; there were definitely a few berries inside. Chloe watched as he felt around inside and pulled some out. "Here we are." They hungrily finished the berries in a few minutes. Tyler noticed the other balls again. "Should we let them out?"

"Are those the Catcher's pokémon?" Chloe asked. "The ones we fought?"

"Most of them. I didn't know which ball you were in. That one," Tyler indicated the open ball, "had a fearow in it. The magneton is still in that one. The other two…one's the arbok, and one I don't know."

"What happens if we let them out?"

"They might attack us. Might not do anything. The fearow decided to leave."

"I don't want to let them out," Chloe said. "The whole time I was fighting the arbok, I could tell it liked hurting things."

Tyler nodded. He hadn't really wanted to let the arbok out either. "I think the balls will open on their own after a while. So we should probably leave. How are you feeling?"

"I'll be all right," the espeon said determinedly. "Are we going back to that town?"

"Not tonight. But if this is where the Rockets were going, there might be something here we should see."

"That makes sense," Chloe observed. "I got the feeling that they were taking us somewhere. I mean, not just coming here, but bringing _us_."

"Then I _really_ want to know what they're doing here."

The two eons moved away from the water—Tyler would have stayed, but he knew the Rockets would be looking for them, and the river would be the first place they'd check. It was getting dark, so they found another sheltered spot to sleep. Tyler lay down first; he was a little surprised when Chloe lay down with her head resting on his side. He watched her for a minute before laying his head down as well. "I'm glad you decided to come with me, Chloe," he told her.

The espeon nodded against his flank. "Me, too."


	42. Heads and Tails

Merry Christmas! -Polarissb

* * *

The vaporeon and espeon set out again the next morning. Chloe started healing as the dawn's light hit her, so they waited for a few minutes until she was ready to travel. Then they found a bush to eat from, went back to the river to get a drink—all of the Rocket woman's pokéballs were open now—and headed for the town.

"Do you know if the arbok is still around?" Tyler inquired.

"Not close," Chloe said. "Besides, it wasn't in any shape to fight after yesterday."

"How did that fight go?" Tyler asked curiously.

"It was…different than I thought it would be," the espeon said. "I wasn't sure what I could do to it, so I just kept using that move—you called it Swift, right?—until it went down. It was trying to hit me too, but I could always tell where it was about to strike and get out of the way. It got really angry, tried to wrap me up and stuff, but it wasn't fast enough to catch me. It was the other one that I didn't know how to fight." Chloe hunched her shoulders. "I couldn't read its moves at _all_ , and my shield didn't do anything against the lightning."

Tyler took a step closer and gave Chloe a lick on the back of her neck, trying to comfort her. "It's okay. You did well, especially since you barely evolved. And, you know, taking on a trainer on your own is hard. Their pokémon all know how to fight, and they can keep sending them out until one beats you." He let his fins fall. "It's my fault anyway. We should have waited, found Carson and Kara, and watched for a good time to find out what the Rockets were doing."

"You said they might not be around much," Chloe reminded him.

"I know. But they would have been around _sometime_. We could have waited, gone in at night, learned our way around, and _then_ watched for them to show up and followed them. Then we'd have a better chance, and there would be four—or five—of us instead of two if we ended up in a fight." The vaporeon looked up again. "I should have been more careful. We only got out of there by luck. Even if they couldn't catch me, they could have just taken you away like they did with the rest of my family. Except this time it would have been my fault for getting you caught. I made a big mistake back there, Chloe."

The espeon hesitated. "I know. But we didn't give up, and now we're here. This is a town you haven't been to before, and it might be what you've been looking for." She rubbed against his shoulder encouragingly. "I think it was worth it." She started walking again; as she passed his head she murmured, "I would have followed you even if I knew what was going to happen."

Tyler was taken aback. "Really?" Chloe nodded wordlessly. Tyler halted in surprise for a few moments before he pulled himself back to the present, breaking into a lope to catch up to the espeon.

The town came into view after a while; the two eons stopped at a safe distance to look. Tyler only remembered a few quick flashes of stones, wooden railings, and dark roofs from the town; yesterday it had all been twists and turns, one obstacle more between him and the Rockets, one less between him and the river. He hadn't had the luxury of examining where he was.

The skyline was dominated by a narrow square tower that shot straight up like an impossibly tall tree. Tyler wasn't sure at that distance, but his impression of the town was that it was older, somehow. Large trees grew around and over many of the buildings, and the stone streets and wood structures still persisted in his mind. They went around the town, looking for some place the Rockets might be, but apart from the tower nothing seemed to stand out.

"What do we do next?" Chloe asked when they'd gone all the way around.

"What I should have done yesterday," Tyler replied. "Wait for nighttime when we can get a better look."

The espeon and vaporeon passed the rest of the day looking around. Since they weren't on the move, they had the luxury of looking for food they liked instead of eating from the first bush they could find. They also watched the roads and paths in and out of town and were rewarded by a Rocket leaving to the south during the afternoon. Tyler watched for a while after that, but he realized that there wasn't much more they'd learn. The Rocket's presence confirmed that they were up to something in this town, but finding out what would mean getting closer, so he suggested they withdraw from the area.

"What are we doing now?" Chloe asked. "It feels like you have something in mind."

Tyler nodded, unsurprised. "I was just thinking about what you said about the fight yesterday."

"How I just kept using the same move?"

He nodded again. "You need more than that. If you only have one strategy, then they only need one way to beat you. I don't know how much you can pick up in one afternoon, but it would be good for you to figure out a psychic move, at least a little."

"Do you think we'll get in a fight?"

"I don't want to," the vaporeon responded. "But…I don't know anything about this place. If we get surprised, I want to be ready." What he didn't mention was the terror that had shot through him as he'd watched the ball pull Chloe in the day before. _I don't want that to happen again_.

 **You're right. I don't either.**

Tyler startled a little. _You were listening?_

The espeon let her ears fall a little. **I wasn't trying to. But you started thinking about me, and it was really strong. I couldn't help picking up on it. I…I'm sorry, Tyler. I didn't know it hit you** ** _that_** **hard when I got captured. I can still feel…echoes.** There was a different feel to Chloe's thoughts now. **It's…sweet of you, to care about me like that. I really thought my life was over before you came. Even before those pupitar found me again.** A tear welled up in Chloe's eye. **I didn't have anyone left. But you changed that. Even then…until I evolved into an espeon…I didn't realize** ** _how_** **much you worried about me. So thank you. And sorry, for listening to your thoughts like that.**

 _Don't be,_ Tyler thought back. A warm feeling came over him. _I do care about you. Just…sometimes I don't know how to tell you. Sometimes I don't know what to do. With you, and my family, and Claire, and everything._ He smiled ruefully. _I have a lot of things to worry about_.

 **I know that now. I means a lot to me that I'm one of them. But I'll keep myself safe this time, okay?**

Tyler wasn't so sure about that. Experience had shown him that lots of things could go wrong when he was up against humans. **I know it's dangerous,** Chloe added. **So let's train. What do I do?**

Tyler took a breath. "I don't know a lot about psychic moves. But I do know you should be able to move things with your mind. Let's start with that."

"All right." Chloe shuffled her paws uncertainly. "Umm…I don't really know how to do that."

"Concentrate on something," Tyler suggested. "Try to push it—or pull it."

"Just like that?"

The vaporeon shrugged. "Well, it'll be a start."

"All right." Chloe turned away from him and furrowed her brow. Tyler watched quietly as she twitched her tail, moving back and forth silently. He wasn't sure if there was anything he could do that would help. The espeon grunted under her breath with no apparent effect. After a minute she turned back to him. "I'm not sure how to do it. I was focusing really hard—harder than I think I _could_ focus before I evolved. I tried to use my power with it too…but I think maybe I'm doing it wrong." She paused and looked up at him. "How do you do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…you don't have the same powers I'm supposed to, but you can control water and move it around, right?" Tyler nodded, and Chloe went on. "Maybe I can figure it out from the way you do it."

"It's worth a try," the vaporeon agreed. They weren't too far from the river, so Tyler headed back to it. "Okay. Are you ready? Actually, what are you trying to do?"

"You told me most moves are connected to feelings. I thought maybe if you used your power to move water, I could pick up on the feeling and try to use it myself."

"All right," Tyler agreed. He watched as Chloe's eyes closed and the jewel between her eyes lit up.

 **Okay. I'm ready.**

 _All right_. Tyler turned his attention to the river, closing his own eyes and concentrating on the river with his other senses. He pulled some of the water into a cross-current, conscious of the espeon observing him.

After he'd done a few more things, Chloe spoke up again. **I think I get it.** Without explaining further, she turned away, taking a deep breath. Nothing happened for a few moments; then in front of her, a stalk of grass slowly bent over until it was flat. The espeon glanced back at Tyler, and the blade of grass sprang upright again. She shook her head, a quick motion. "That was the feeling I picked up. It worked, at least a little. I…I actually moved it. With my mind." She looked at the vaporeon again. "I did it!"

"Good job," Tyler congratulated her. "Now that you've got the idea, you should practice some more." A question struck him. "Was it the same thing you did when the skarmory attacked me? The same feeling?"

Chloe glanced skyward. "I think…maybe? It all happened so fast."

Tyler nodded. "Well, let's practice. We still have a little while before nighttime."

They headed for the town when the sun slipped below the horizon. Tyler was watching Chloe carefully to make sure she'd be all right at night, but the espeon didn't seem too affected. He asked her how she felt, and the espeon shrugged. "I'll look forward to getting to sleep tonight. But I'm okay."

They pressed on into town, taking advantage of the dappled shadows cast by the many trees. A few humans were around, but the vaporeon and espeon didn't have much trouble avoiding them. Tyler paused occasionally to scent the breeze, searching for some sign of where the Rockets might be. They were definitely around; traces of their smell were in the air. They got as close as they could to the tower; up close it seemed even bigger. To Tyler's disappointment, though, it didn't seem to have anything to do with the Rockets.

"There's something wrong in there," Chloe said, glancing up nervously at its dark sides.

"What?" Tyler asked.

The espeon shook her head. "I don't know."

"Rockets?"

Chloe shook her head again. "Not humans. Something else. Can we go?"

Tyler agreed, and they left the tower behind. They found a small road that Tyler thought looked promising; it led away from the other buildings in town, and he thought the Rocket scent might be stronger. His suspicions were strengthened as they got close.

"I smell a lot of pokémon here," Chloe said.

 _Careful,_ Tyler thought back. _I do too. But that means this place could be dangerous_.

 **Oh. Right.** Chloe's mental voice came into his head. **Sorry.**

 _It's okay,_ Tyler reassured her. _But no noise from here. Can you sense any of them?_

 **Not yet. Maybe when we're closer.**

The two eons slipped around the side of the building. It wasn't too large, but the scent of pokémon was definitely there. All they saw there was a blank wall, with one small window too high to reach. Continuing around, they found that the next side had lights, and a Rocket standing outside. Tyler quickly drew back. _Did she see us?_

Chloe paused. **I don't think so. Nothing feels different.**

 _Can you go around and see if there's a way in there?_

 **Why me?**

Tyler sighed, out loud. _I'm not built for running quietly._ He indicated his tail. _This is for swimming and fighting, not sneaking_.

 **You sneak all the time.**

 _I know. But I go slowly. I can't cross in front of her fast enough without making noise. You're a lot lighter_.

 **All right…** Chloe seemed to gather herself, then darted across the open space at the edge of the light. Tyler found himself holding his breath. **Great,** Chloe's voice came.

 _What?_

 **She noticed me!**

Tyler listened. The Rocket seemed to be moving back and forth, but not going anywhere yet. _Can she see you now?_

 **I…don't think so. But she's looking around.**

 _All right. Stay calm for the moment. And stay still._ Something else caught Tyler's eye. _And keep your jewel hidden, she might see the glow_. The vaporeon risked a peek around the side again, his fins folded flat against his head. The Rocket was still shifting back and forth, but she seemed uncertain now. _I think you're safe for the moment. Is there a way in?_

 **There is,** the espeon confirmed.

 _What about inside? Can you sense any other humans?_

 **No, just her**.

 _All right. If we get past her—_ Tyler ducked back again as the human's head swung his way— _we should be able to get our bearings inside_.

 **Are you sure?**

 _We at least need to see what's in there. I know we need to be careful, but as long as you can sense whether any Rockets are coming we should be all right if we don't move too fast_.

There was a mental sigh. **Okay. But…how do we get past her?**

 _A distraction? She's already looking around, if we knock something over she'll probably head for it_.

 **How do we—** Chloe's voice cut off. **Oh. Like I was practicing earlier.** The espeon turned away a little; after a moment Tyler heard a scraping noise. He tensed himself to run as a quick shuffle of boots echoed around the corner.

A moment later there was a crash. **Go!** Tyler dashed around the corner. The Rocket was headed the other way, toward the shadows. Tyler felt exposed in the light like this. Chloe came sprinting into his field of view from the left, headed for the dark rectangle of the doorway. Tyler angled over to follow her, keeping one eye on the Rocket. As he entered the building, he heard the woman curse behind him. _I hope she didn't just see me_.

 **Where now?** Chloe sent back, still running straight down the hall.

 _First turn we come across with no humans,_ he replied quickly. _Need to get out of sight_. A moment later, the espeon swerved left around a corner. Tyler followed her, slowing to a stop.

 **Now what?**

Tyler looked around. _This feels like a pretty big building,_ he sent. _It didn't look that big outside, but they don't have hallways like this in small ones. Let's find somewhere better to hide_. Footsteps were starting to echo off the hard floor. Tyler led the way down the hall, looking at the doors. Finally he found one that looked promising. He held his ear to it for a moment, conscious of the Rocket still coming. It was quiet. _In here._ He shouldered the door open. After they went in, it swung back. It was going to slam shut, Tyler realized with a flash of fear; before that happened, though, the door slowed, and the dark room lit up red as Chloe's jewel glowed.

 _How did you know to do that?_ he asked. _You didn't know the door swung on its own like that, did you?_

 **You were looking for how to slow it down,** the espeon answered. **I could tell.**

Tyler breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank the legends you were quick enough to get it_. He took a step closer to Chloe, pressing against her flank. She was tense. _Sorry we rushed in here like that,_ the vaporeon apologized.

 **Don't we need a plan?**

 _Yeah,_ Tyler admitted. _But I don't think it would have helped with this part. We needed to find out what was inside—we would have had to come in here eventually. And nighttime is the best. Less humans around_.

 **So what's the plan now?**

 _We can look around. Quietly_. _I have a feeling that we need to go deeper, so let's look for stairs_.

 **What are those?**

 _Steps going down._ Tyler traced the shape in the air with a paw.

 **What about if we find where they're keeping the pokémon?**

 _We can…look, and see how things are_. Tyler willed himself to take a step back from the situation. _We don't have to try to break them out tonight_.

 **What if they're all in balls?**

 _I don't think they will be. They have to let us out every day to eat and stuff. The place where they were keeping Carson and Kara had cells full of pokémon, they'd only use the balls to take them out for testing. I think leaving them all in is too much trouble_. Claire had mentioned things like that once or twice.

Tyler lit up an aurora so they could look around the room. It was full of boxes; Tyler went around and sniffed each one, trying to see if any of them were worth breaking open. **We shouldn't** , Chloe warned. **We don't want them to know we were here.**

 _That's true,_ he admitted, dropping back onto all four paws from where he'd been reared up against one. _Do you hear her outside?_

Chloe crossed to the door and put an ear to it. **Nothing. I think we're safe.**

 _Okay. Let's start moving_. He reared up to the door and got the handle in his jaws, pulling it out a bit from the wall and inserting a paw before it closed again. Backing up, he pulled it open to let Chloe through, then leaned against it so it would close slowly.

 **Which way?**

Tyler started down the hall in the direction they'd been going. _They probably won't have anything important by the entrance. As long as it's quiet, we should go deeper_. They explored the dimly lit hallway. It branched in two places; one held sounds of sleeping humans, which they avoided. Another one had a series of signs on the wall. Tyler couldn't understand the human writing, but one had a zigzag stair-step like he'd described to Chloe. He followed it, feeling a little more excited, and was rewarded by a set of stairs spiraling down. The scent of pokémon seemed to be coming up it, too. _Here we go._ They made their way down the stairs; Chloe was hesitant at first, but she gained confidence after a few steps. They reached the bottom to find a small alcove leading into another hallway, where footsteps could be heard. Tyler pulled into the shadows; Chloe had already done the same. To his relief, the steps passed by. The Rocket's shadow fell over the entrance for a moment, then it was gone. Once the steps faded, Tyler poked his head out. This looked more like the Rocket building he'd been in before. The panels on the walls and floor, the lights…these had a similar feel. The pokémon scent was to the left now, but that was the way the Rocket had gone. _Let's check the other way._

This hallway seemed to be empty, though there were rooms with glass walls. Tyler was surprised to find windows inside. Some of them had machinery; Tyler ignored it, since he didn't know what anything was for. In several places there were little blinking red lights. A few of the rooms bore scratch and burn marks on the walls, with stronger pokémon scents. Maybe that was where they tested the pokémon. Tyler had to suppress a growl as he pictured it.

 **Tyler!** The vaporeon flinched at Chloe's mental shout.

A moment later, a Rocket rounded the corner. "There you are."

"RUN!" Tyler yowled. The two eons took off in the other direction. "Back up the stairs!" They tore through the halls with the Rocket's heavy footfalls echoing behind them. There was another Rocket at the base of the stairs as they came into view; Chloe knocked him off balance with a psychic shove and they turned left onto the steps, running up them as quickly as they could. Behind them, the Rocket's steps came to a stop.

"Out of the way!" he shouted. Tyler heard a ball open. "Jolteon, after them!" There was a growl, then another set of paws started racing up the stairs behind them. They reached the top; Tyler and Chloe nearly flew through the doors and veered left into the hall. They had only made it a short way when a lightning bolt split the air between them.

 _Keep going!_ Tyler blew out a cloud of mist and ran through it. There was the last hall…

A jolt of electricity hit Tyler, throwing off his balance and sending him tumbling to the ground. He picked himself up to see the jolteon standing there menacingly, yellow fur up in spikes and crackling with electricity. _This isn't good,_ Tyler thought. He started an aurora beam, then let it fade. "Can't you just let us go?" he asked desperately. _I'm not going to win against a jolteon. Not if he knows what he's doing_.

"No," the jolteon answered in an emotionless voice.

 **He's hurt,** Chloe added mentally. **Not physically. But I don't think he wants to be here.**

 _All right_. "You could come with us," Tyler offered.

"No." This time the response sounded tired. "I can't."

"But you've tried before?" the vaporeon ventured.

There was a sigh. "Every chance I got, once. You think I _like_ Catchers?"

"So let us go."

The jolteon shook his head and turned slightly, showing something dark around his neck. "I can't. I've tried before. Every time, Proton hurts me. For what it's worth…I'm sorry about this." His fur started standing up again.

 **He's aiming for you,** Chloe warned.

Tyler started getting another mist breath ready. _Tell me when_. He tried one more time. "Please. My family might be here, I came for them."

The jolteon made eye contact with him for the first time. "So is mine." He sounded uncertain now.

 **Tyler? There's something about him…**

That was enough for Tyler. _I know._ He closed his eyes for a moment, praying he was right. "Skylar?"

A surge of electricity shot through the jolteon's fur. "How do you know…" He looked hard at the vaporeon. "Are you…Tyler? Carson?"

Tears came to the vaporeon's eyes. "It's me, Skylar. I'm your brother Tyler."

Skylar seemed lost for words. "How…what are you doing here?"

"Looking for my family," he replied. The words seemed to carry more meaning in that moment than any other time he'd said them.

 **We don't have much time,** Chloe warned. They both looked at her. **Listen, he's coming**.

"Come with us," Tyler said urgently.

"I told you, I can't. If I go too far away— _Arggh!_ " The jolteon collapsed on the ground. " _This_ ," he choked out.

The Rocket appeared behind him. "Come on, Jolteon, you know what you're supposed to be doing. Stop wasting time." He did something, and Skylar relaxed.

"I don't know what to do," he said, getting back to his paws. "I don't want to fight you. But if I don't, he'll use this." He paused. "Get out of here. Don't make me hurt you." There was a plea in Skylar's voice as he glanced worriedly over his shoulder at the Rocket. He flinched, sending a weak spark at Tyler.

The vaporeon braced himself as the electricity went through him. "I'm not leaving, Skylar," he decided. "Not without you." He started streaming water through his skin, though he was careful to push it away from himself. Standing in a puddle wasn't a good idea against electric pokémon.

"But how—"

"I have an idea. But we have to beat you." There would only be seconds before Skylar either had to attack or be hurt again. _If we get him back in his ball, we can steal it_ , Tyler added to Chloe as he went on the offensive. He knocked the jolteon off his paws with a blast of water, getting shocked again in the process. _Tell him_.

Chloe nodded in his peripheral vision. She was still standing to the side. **Then should I help?**

 _No,_ Tyler sent. _It's one-on-one right now, and he's got the advantage. If you get involved, that Rocket will definitely send out another pokémon. Maybe more than one_.

Skylar lunged to his paws. **He gets it,** Chloe sent.

"I can't go too easy on you," Skylar warned him. "Father's training won't be good enough."

"Don't worry. You're not the only one who's trained with humans." Tyler hit his brother with an aurora beam and hurled himself to the side. A lightning bolt barely missed him. Skylar was blinking hard from the flash. He followed up with a cloud of mist; the jolteon's next attack seared into it.

"So it is you." The Rocket's voice broke into the lull that followed. "Nine months ago, there's a breakout at our Celadon facility, with a vaporeon that wasn't being kept there. Yesterday you broke out of a ball here. No coincidence. I've been waiting for you…and here you are." He turned back to Skylar. "Jolteon…Quick Attack."

Tyler only had a split second to react. At least he understood the command. As Skylar slammed into him, Tyler leaned away from the blow. It sent him rolling over, but also kept his brother from rebounding. As he caught Skylar's eye—who was now standing over him—Tyler winked and blasted them both straight into the ceiling with a Waterfall attack. There was an odd feeling from the jolteon's electricity; Tyler didn't have time to think about it. As they rebounded off the ceiling, Tyler triggered the attack again, hurling them both straight down. He liquefied on impact. Skylar didn't.

Tyler reformed and let loose a water blast as the jolteon got up, but Skylar dropped flat, unnaturally fast, and evaded it. They faced off again; Skylar was breathing hard and seemed to be favoring his right side.

"All right," the jolteon panted, "you're pretty good."

"Thanks for not shocking me," Tyler replied.

"Just doing what he says." Skylar gave the vaporeon a weak grin. Then he flinched and flared with sparks as the Rocket called out another order.

Tyler didn't have time to stop that one; the shock hit him full force, throwing him to the ground. He struggled to his paws, spasming slightly as the movement irritated his nerves. In front of him, Skylar was forming a ball of lightning. He limped to the side, trying to keep out of its line; then Skylar sent it at him, breathing, "Sorry."

The pain suddenly disappeared; unhindered, Tyler managed to launch himself aside. **I could feel that. I'm holding it back. Don't ask me how.**

 _My turn,_ Tyler responded. He blasted Skylar with a Hydro Pump, snapping it off in a series of quick bursts like Claire had taught him to do against electric pokémon. He could feel occasional tingles of electricity, but it felt like Skylar was having a hard time building up a charge while Tyler was keeping him wet. Without giving the jolteon an opportunity to come around and hit him, Tyler took hold of the water around—now a sizeable amount—and kicked it up into a wave surging down the hall. As it reached Skylar, Tyler wrapped it around the jolteon, submerging him. At the same time, he moved in—it was easier to hold the water together if he was closer. The jolteon scrabbled against the wall in the bubble Tyler had trapped him in, finally managing to break his head free of the surface.

"Thanks," he gasped. "Holding back…hasn't mattered…in so long." He cringed as the Rocket did something with a device he was holding.

"I'm disappointed, Jolteon. You can do better than that." He raised Skylar's ball; Tyler brought the water rushing back to him, leaving the jolteon coughing on the floor.

 _Chloe,_ he thought urgently, _you have to steal his ball as soon as the Rocket puts him back. Then we're running_.

 **I can't do that and help you at the same time.**

 _Skylar's more important. I'll make it_. Without warning, the painful buzz from the shock came back, and Tyler staggered. He started shaking his limbs deliberately, gritting his teeth against the pain as he tried to loosen his muscles. At the same time, he soaked water back in as fast as he could. Skylar disappeared into the ball. _Quick! Get it!_

Chloe needed no prompting; as the Rocket's hand came down, the ball shot out of it towards her. He cursed and grabbed for another one. _Go!_ Tyler started limping as quickly as he could; his left hind leg still didn't have much feeling.

 **Are you all right?**

 _Yes._ Tyler heard more Rockets coming and turned, spraying the corridor with an ice beam. A golbat and a weezing appeared from balls. Chloe was skipping ahead of him, turning back every few steps so she was never very far ahead.

 **What do we do?**

 _Have to keep moving,_ Tyler replied. _Can you sense where they are, hit them behind you?_

 **Maybe.** Chloe sounded worried.

Tyler was starting to move a little faster now. He jumped up and caught the ball in his mouth from where it floated under Chloe's power; she let it go as he touched it. _Don't slow down, just keep their pokémon off us._

Chloe nodded; her jewel lit up and she started spraying Swift stars backwards, just one or two at a time, without looking. Every few seconds, Tyler heard a noise from one of the pursuing pokémon. _You're hitting them_.

 **A little.**

 _It's enough. Just be glad neither of them can do much from this distance_. Chloe shouldered him to the side as he thought that and a confuse ray passed between them. Tyler didn't have time to do anything but nod his thanks.

The female Rocket appeared in the exit. Tyler dropped his brother's ball, rolling it forward, then loosed an aurora beam and a water blast in her direction. He nearly stumbled as he scooped Skylar's ball up again.

As they passed outside again, the guard sent out a pokémon. Tyler ignored it. _Keep going. We can't fight them all._

"Where should we go? Back to the river?" Chloe spoke out loud this time, still aiming stars over her shoulders.

 _You can't swim though_. Tyler still couldn't speak around the ball in his mouth.

"But I _can_ run faster than we're going right now."

 _Not the river. That's what they'll be expecting_. Tyler was grateful the espeon could pick up on his thoughts right now. His mind raced as he tried to come up with somewhere they couldn't follow.

"Tyler, what is it?"

 _Nothing_.

"Tyler?" Chloe said.

 _What?_

"You _do_ realize I can read your mind, right? You just thought of something."

Tyler sighed around the ball in his mouth. _You won't like it_.

"But you think it'll work. That's good enough."

 _All right. Follow me_. Tyler turned a corner, heading back for the center of town.

"Where are we going?" Chloe asked. "We can't stay ahead forever."

 _Can't you read my mind? And why aren't you using telepathy?_

"Can't use it and keep them away at the same time," Chloe panted. "Can't read your mind _that_ well either."

 _Pokémon Center. It's our best chance. If we can't hide…then we go somewhere they'll have to fight everyone to take us_.

"What if the Catchers there come after us?"

 _I won't let them_.

"Can you stop them?"

 _They have rules. No one will come after us in the pokécenter._ He turned another corner, into the streetlights this time. _Especially if they see what they're doing to Skylar_. They were going to make it; the Rockets couldn't keep up, and Chloe was keeping their faster pokémon—mostly bats—from getting close. Another turn led them to an open area; Tyler's heart leapt as he saw the red front of the pokécenter. _In there!_ He slowed to a trot, looking back as he stood in front of the door. Then it slid open and he walked inside. Chloe followed hesitantly, looking everywhere. A trainer sat on a bench, watching them in surprise.

"Who's there? –Oh." A kind-faced nurse came out from a back room. "What's this?"

Tyler dropped Skylar's ball, stretching his jaw for a moment. "Don't panic," he said to Chloe. "As long as you look like you're all right being here, no one will bother you. And we might need their help." He looked down and pressed the button to open Skylar's ball. The jolteon appeared on the floor; as soon as the light faded he curled up twitching, teeth bared in a grimace.

 **It's the collar, it's hurting him!**

Tyler leaped to his brother's side. "I've got you. Don't shock me." He seized the collar in his jaws, vaguely aware of the humans watching them.

"Couldn't," Skylar managed through his teeth.

Tyler flooded the collar with water. Hopefully it would do something. If not… _Water will expand if you freeze it, Vaporeon. You could even crack rocks that way_. Something else Claire had taught him. _I hope this works_. Like he had with the Rocket's bag the day before, Tyler froze the collar in his mouth. There was an electric taste as something snapped between his teeth, then a shock knocked him over.

"Are you all right?" Chloe asked worriedly.

Tyler groaned and rolled over. "I think so. What about Skylar?"

"He's doing better. He relaxed as soon as that thing shocked you. Is that…equipment?" the espeon asked.

"Yeah." Tyler barked out a laugh. "I guess so. Hopefully I broke it."

"Thanks," Skylar panted. Then he stiffened. "They're coming—they're going to take me back…"

Tyler looked over to see that the Rockets were coming through the door. Chloe sprang in front of both of them. "Stay away," she hissed.

Tyler picked himself up too. "I'm not done yet."

A voice came from behind them. "What's going on here?"

The Rocket from before stepped forward; Skylar started a low growl. "The jolteon's mine, Joy. I'm taking it back. And these troublemakers, too."

Tyler moved to stand over his brother's ball. "Come and get it," he growled, even though they couldn't understand.

"Oh, no, you don't," Nurse Joy said sternly. "You're not starting a fight in _my_ Center." She gestured to the trainer in the corner, who was on his feet as well. "You, keep an eye on them." The nurse crossed to another doorway. "We could use a little help out here. Proton's group is trying to make trouble." There was an answering chorus of voices and creaking beds. The nurse turned around and crossed her arms. "They're staying here. At least until _your jolteon_ gets taken care of."

"And then?"

The nurse moved closer to the three eons. "That depends on what this collar is," she said, bending down. Skylar bristled, but didn't shock her. "Care to tell me?"

 **What's going on?** Chloe asked Tyler.

 _The nurse—that's her with Skylar—isn't very happy with the Rockets. She's trying to get them to leave us alone. All the trainers who are staying here tonight will be here soon. We've won_. Within a minute, trainers started filing through the doorway.

"You'll pay for this, Joy," the head Rocket said. He motioned to the others, and they started leaving.

"Threatening a League nurse? Do you _really_ want to do that?" Nurse Joy shot back as the door closed. Once the Rockets were gone, she sighed. "You can all go back to bed," she said, addressing the gathered trainers. "Thanks for your help." She paused, feeling Skylar's collar. "Actually, does anyone have a fighting pokémon? There's no catch on this collar, and it feels like it's all metal."

"I do," a boy volunteered. He sent out a machoke, and Chloe bristled.

"Easy," Tyler murmured. "He's here to help." He addressed the machoke, which had knelt next to Skylar. "We need you to break the collar off his neck."

"No worries," the muscular pokémon assured him. It gripped the collar with both hands and slowly squeezed, bending the metal until it came apart.

"Careful," Skylar said quietly. "I'm absorbing the electricity, but it'll shock you if you pull it all the way off." The machoke nodded and bent the collar the rest of the way open before stepping back. His trainer nodded and returned him to the ball. Skylar slowly lifted his neck out of the collar; Tyler grimaced as he saw scorched fur underneath. The jolteon turned over; then, with a growl of anger, he shoved the collar away. "I _hate_ him."

"You said they were keeping some of our family down there, didn't you?" Tyler asked.

Skylar nodded tiredly. "Father at least."

"Come with us. We're going to get them out."

The jolteon shook his head. "I'm not going back there."

"Even for Father?"

Skylar shook his head again. "I'm done. You don't know what I've had to do for them. If I never see another human again, it'll be too soon." Without warning he vanished into the ball, which the nurse was now holding.

"She's trying to help." Chloe forestalled Tyler's next move. They watched as the woman crossed to the healing machine and put Skylar's ball in. "What does that do?"

"It heals pokémon," the vaporeon explained. "But you have to be in a ball for it to work. It's how trainers keep their pokémon in good condition. I wanted to talk to Skylar some more," he added, "but I guess it can wait."

"He's hurt," Chloe observed. " _Really_ hurt." Tyler swallowed and nodded tiredly, a hundred feelings warring inside him. "Do you want to talk about it?" the espeon asked.

"No," he answered, "not yet. I was just thinking…that could have been me." Chloe didn't say anything, just waited for him to go on. "The day the Rockets came…it came down to just us. Skylar and I. We ran together with a persian after us. After a bit we split up so it couldn't follow us both. And Skylar must have gotten caught. I just got lost." He slumped down. "I don't deserve this luck. I wish he'd gotten away instead." Chloe pressed against him. "Did you see the look in his eyes?" Tyler asked her.

The espeon nodded silently. **I could feel it too.**

"Come on, vaporeon." It was the nurse again. "Let's get you patched up."

* * *

 _March 26_

 _I need to watch the news more (probably should anyway, since I'm a Master now and I'm supposed to be around when things happen). Some of the other trainers at the center I was staying at last night were talking about—get this—a vaporeon. I looked it up, apparently a pair of Team Rocket members had just landed in Ecruteak when suddenly the vaporeon bursts out of a ball in one of their bags, knocks them both down, steals the other bag, and takes off for the river. A bunch of people saw, it happened in broad daylight. I only know one vaporeon who has a grudge against Team Rocket, let alone who could have pulled that off—there's no way this is a coincidence, it has to be him!_

 _Typhlosion and Tropius especially seemed excited when I told them. I know where we're headed next. Vaporeon, hang in there—we're coming_. _Game on, Team Rocket. Let's see what you're up to._

* * *

This one's for everyone who's read and encouraged this story, and especially for Faceplant02, who _really_ wanted to see Claire come back. Thanks!


	43. By Chance

Once everyone was gone, Nurse Joy set out some water and berries for the two eons. She disappeared after that; Tyler and Chloe decided she must be sleeping. They curled up behind a shelf and tried to sleep too in the dim lights of the pokécenter at night. It wasn't the most comfortable, but Tyler was grateful to have one of the nurses take care of him again after a fight. _I hope Skylar feels better tomorrow,_ the vaporeon thought before he closed his eyes.

Movement woke him the next morning. Tyler blinked, looking around at the light that shone through…windows. _We're inside_. He hadn't slept in a building in a while.

"Oh good, you're awake." Chloe didn't move.

"Are you all right?"

"I only slept a little. How did you sleep like that?"

"I've slept here before. Lots of times. These are where trainers stay most nights." He pushed his nose into Chloe's shoulder. "I'm sorry you couldn't sleep."

The espeon yawned. "Not much. What about your brother?"

"I hope he's all right." The vaporeon went to sit by the healing machine, waiting for the nurse to come back. A trainer went past and looked at him, but didn't say anything. There was a whir as she left through the sliding door. After a few minutes they heard sounds coming from the back; the two eons waited expectantly for the nurse to come out.

When she did, she walked over to them. "I guess you want your friend back." She went to the machine and opened it, taking Skylar's ball out before releasing the jolteon.

Skylar looked around at their surroundings and sighed.

"It's good to see you," Tyler ventured. Skylar nodded, looking down. "Are you hungry?" The jolteon gave him another nod.

After a moment Skylar spoke. "I'm sorry, I've just been thinking."

"You never did much of that before," Tyler joked.

"Things change." Skylar sighed, not looking up. That got Tyler's attention. "I don't know what happened to you after we got separated, but life…has been bad."

"What did happen? Kara told me you were with her in the other facility for a while."

"You talked to her?"

Tyler nodded. "I got her out. And Carson. He came after you. They both evolved, you know. Carson's a flareon now, and Kara evolved into umbreon when they took you away. What happened to you after that?"

"I…I got captured. The persian found me and brought me back. I ended up in the cell with Kara, like you said. They were testing us." Tyler nodded; he'd heard that from his other siblings. "You remember, I always wanted to be the fastest. The Rockets seemed to think I was, so one day they took me in the ball. They let me out and it was just me and one of the Rockets. Proton. He had my ball, said I was going to be his now. Then he told me how fast I was. Then he showed me a thunderstone.

"I thought maybe things would be all right. Even though the Rockets had taken me, I still got to evolve into jolteon. It was…a happy moment for me. I didn't know what was coming.

"After that I trained against some of the other Rockets, got used to my powers. Proton liked how strong I was, and he took pretty good care of me. Then one day he sent me out somewhere new. He had me fight a trainer outside. Their pokémon weren't very strong, so I won easily. Then he told me to attack the trainer." A low growl escaped the jolteon. "I did. I didn't see any reason not to. But I guess humans aren't as strong as pokémon. He was young. And I still remember his face when Proton told me to attack. I hurt him pretty badly.

"That was only the first time. The next time, and the time after that, I just refused to attack. The first time Proton got mad. The second time, he took me out for training with the other Rockets again, pushed me really hard. Once I couldn't fight anymore, he put that collar on me.

"From then on, whenever I disobeyed, he used the collar. It takes my electricity and burns me with it. If I didn't attack someone, he'd hurt me. If I did something he didn't want, he'd hurt me. For a while, I resisted anyway. Proton never gave up. He started just leaving the collar on, so it would keep burning until all my power was drained and I could barely stand up." Skylar growled again, but it turned into a sigh. "Tyler…he beat me."

"I gave up. Ever since then, I've been doing what he tells me to. It hurts less, but every time…it breaks me a little more. I hate remembering it, but it's almost all I think about now, all the people and pokémon I've hurt for him. All I could do was try to stop caring."

"We're going to stop him," Tyler assured his brother. He didn't know how they would, but it hurt him to see his brother, once his closest friend, like this.

"I'm sorry, Tyler. I'm not coming."

"Why not?"

"You don't know Proton like I do. He'll be waiting for us. He doesn't give up easily, he'll want me back. And…" Skylar cringed. "I know what'll happen if he beats me."

"It's not just that, is it?" Chloe asked gently. "You don't want to fight."

Tyler's brother sighed. "No, I don't. Whenever I've fought, it's been to hurt someone. I've done it so many times I can't really think of it any other way. There was never any choice until you found me. Now…" he closed his eyes. "I have a choice. You don't know how long it's been." The jolteon sounded pained. "I finally, _finally_ have a choice. And I'm done. I'm not fighting again."

"What will you do?" Tyler asked.

"I'm leaving." Skylar answered immediately. "Thanks for getting me away and healed. I have to stay away from humans, go somewhere they'll never find me again."

"Not all humans are like the Rockets," Tyler protested.

"It doesn't matter. They'll still want to catch me."

Tyler looked down. _He's probably right. The same thing happened with the first trainer who saw me after Claire let me go_.

"I wish I could help, that I hadn't been through the things I have. Believe me, you could never imagine how badly I wish the last year never happened. But that's not the way things are. It's not the way I am anymore."

"Where do you want to go then?" Tyler asked his brother, defeated.

"Away. I need to be alone. Maybe one day I'll get away from my memories." Skylar let out a long sigh. "That's the only thing I can still hope for."

"It can't be the _only_ thing," Chloe said.

"I tried hoping for other things," the jolteon replied bitterly. "It hurt too much. It's not just that, though." Skylar stared down at his paws. "I'm a weapon. I've been one for a long time now. Everywhere I look, I see ways to hurt. That's the way I am. It's why I have to leave."

Tyler reached out a paw. "Skylar, listen. I know I can't understand what you've gone through. But I'm still your brother. I want to help however I can."

Tyler saw a flicker of something else in Skylar's haunted eyes. "Thank you. I really do mean that. It's just…I'm not ready. But…one day, if I ever am, I'll find you again. I promise." He got to his paws and walked around the counter; Tyler and Chloe followed.

"Are you leaving right now?" Chloe asked.

Skylar nodded silently and continued padding toward the door. Tyler went to say something, but a voice in his head stopped him. **He doesn't want to talk. He was making himself the whole time he told us his story. I think maybe we should just let him be.**

As the door opened, Skylar paused and turned to look back at them. He opened his mouth, looked down, then back up again to meet his brother's eyes. "Good luck, Tyler."

Tears came to Tyler's eyes, and he suddenly had to swallow the lump in his throat. "Good luck, Skylar." There didn't seem to be anything else to say now. The jolteon nodded and stepped outside, disappearing into the morning.

 **Now what?**

Tyler turned back to the nurse, who had been watching the whole thing. "We might get something to eat here. After that…we'll need another plan. He shook his head. "I just wish I could have done something for Skylar."

"You did," Chloe encouraged. "You got him back from a _Catcher_. He might be hurt, but at least he's free again. You gave him that chance." The espeon pushed her head under Tyler's and leaned against his chest. "Going away is the first choice he's gotten to make since he evolved. We can't fix everything. But you did what you could."

Tyler nodded slowly, eyes closed. "Thanks." He gave her an affectionate lick before taking a deep breath. "Thanks," he said again. "Now come over here. Let's see if we can get something to eat." He headed over and waited by the food counter; the nurse raised her eyebrows but got some things out of the refrigerator and put them in the oven. Trainers started showing up over the next few minutes. Tyler mostly ignored them; beside him Chloe did the same, though judging by the way the espeon kept staring into space Tyler was pretty sure she was mentally keeping tabs on all of them.

 _I don't think they'll bother us_ , the vaporeon thought at her.

Chloe looked at him. **How could you tell?**

 _It doesn't take psychic powers to tell that you're still worried. You're not looking at them…but you're not looking at anything else either, so I'm guessing you're using your psychic senses. If you weren't worried about them, you'd probably either be looking around or talking to me_. Tyler glanced at one of the new arrivals, who was accompanied by a male bayleef that looked a lot more approachable than Ray's ace Diane. _I'm going to see if I can find anything out_.

"Have you been around here long?" he asked the bayleef as he approached.

"A week or so," it responded.

"Is there a gym around here?"

"There is. But why are you asking? Wouldn't your trainer already know?"

Tyler paused, thinking carefully about how to respond. "Not really…Or, well, she didn't tell me. We're not in the gym challenge right now."

"Really?"

"We made it all the way to the League," Tyler said, unable to keep a note of pride out of his voice. "But we just got here and it's my first time. I think she'd already been here before I was captured. I was just wondering how strong the pokémon here are."

"They're not bad," the bayleef replied. "I hold my own pretty well around here. But I guess, if you've already beaten all the gyms they wouldn't be much of a challenge for your team."

"What about the Rockets?" Tyler asked.

"What about them?"

"There's a group of them here. Do you have any idea how well-trained they are?"

The bayleef shrugged. "Actually, I didn't even know they were here. We haven't ever run into any, so I don't know much about them."

"Oh. Well, thanks anyway." Tyler turned back to Chloe; the nurse had set a tray on the floor with water and a few muffins. "Looks like it's time to eat," he added by way of a goodbye.

Chloe was eyeing the food uncertainly. "What are these?"

"Muffins. They're good." Tyler pulled one closer with a paw and took a big bite. _Really_ , he added in his head. _Try one_.

Chloe finally did, and her eyes widened. Tyler finished his bite and smiled. "See?"

 **How do they make them taste like this?**

"If there's one thing humans are good at, it's making things."

 **So you got to eat this all the time?** Chloe asked, taking another bite.

Tyler sighed wistfully. "There are things I miss about being with a trainer. Pokécenters are a big one." They finished eating, enjoying every crumb; Tyler smiled up at the nurse and waved his tail in thanks before turning to the door.

"You know, I heard some of that," the bayleef remarked as they passed. "Where's your trainer?"

"That's a long story," Tyler replied evasively.

"Wait. You're not _runaways_ , are you?"

 **Tyler, they're all looking at us,** Chloe sent.

 _Do not panic._ "That's a long story too," he answered the bayleef. "But the short answer is no. My trainer let me go free. The only humans we've run away from are the Rockets. That's why I was asking about them." The bayleef was still eyeing him, so he added, "And what I said about reaching the League is true. I beat the Sevii Leader's dragonite one-on-one. I don't want a fight, but believe me, I can take you, and the rest of your team, down by myself."

"All right," the bayleef said, subdued, "I get it."

"Sorry," Tyler said. "I've just been attacked by a lot of trainers even after being released. I don't want to get in a fight today." _Come on_. He headed out the door with the espeon right behind him.

 **We're in broad daylight. Everyone will see us.**

"I know," the vaporeon responded. "Just keep walking. As long as you look like you know what you're doing, they shouldn't bother us. At least not in town. Once we leave, I was thinking of finding somewhere to hide so you can rest properly."

"Where are we going?"

Tyler looked up. "I was thinking of heading for that mountain. We don't have to go all the way, but there was only one path headed that direction, so we should be able to get away from trainers."

"What about when we go back?"

"I don't know," Tyler admitted. "I don't think we'll be able to sneak in. Skylar's right, they'll be waiting for us now."

"How did you get in the last one?"

"There was a vent I could go through. But I didn't see one last night on the building, and you probably couldn't come with me even if we did find it—I had to turn to water to get through the bars." He sighed. "I think we'll need help."

"From where?"

"I don't know, that's the problem. We can't just go around finding wild pokémon to help attack a Catcher place. That's why I wanted Skylar to come. He's strong, he's electric so he can break their lights and things, and he'd know his way around in there. And he's my brother." They were leaving town now; as soon as they were out of sight of most of the buildings Tyler turned off the path. He pricked his fins up. "There's water this way," he observed. "A lake or something. –Anyway, I thought maybe there was a way to get the trainers here to help us. But even if we could, I don't know if their pokémon are strong enough."

"You know," Chloe put in nervously, "I don't think _I'm_ strong enough."

"We have time to train," Tyler told her. "I…don't think we'll stand a chance by ourselves. We'll need to find help, and I don't know how long that'll take." He sighed. "I don't even know where to look. All I know is my family's in that place. I'm not giving up." The vaporeon glanced up at the sky. "For now, we'll need somewhere to stay. I was thinking of finding that lake."

"How far is it?" Chloe asked.

Tyler thought about it for a minute. "I can sense it all right from here, so I don't think it's too far. We should be there by noon."

Chloe agreed, so they set out. Tyler spent a lot of the trip wondering what his family would be doing. _I hope they haven't been treating them all like Skylar_. Just thinking about what the jolteon had been put through made Tyler bare his teeth. Chloe didn't interrupt his thoughts, for which Tyler was grateful.

As he'd thought, the lake wasn't too far away. The grass and shrubs gave way to spreading trees, and reeds fringed the waterfront. The two eons stopped on an overhanging bank, looking at the sunlight shimmering off the surface. Tyler inhaled and caught the smell of fresh water carried by the drifting breeze. A gray mountain rose off to one side, its sides disappearing into the trees before sloping down into the water. A few flying pokémon wheeled between the clouds above; Tyler could faintly hear their cries.

The lake was invitingly large; when Tyler stretched out his senses he could tell there were deep parts in the middle. There were a fair number of fish pokémon in the water too, from what he could tell. Stretching out his senses to the lapping water relaxed him; until that moment Tyler hadn't realized how worried he'd been about everything. _I'm glad we found a place to stop. Going from one fight to another is hard_.

Beside him, Chloe sighed, looking across the water at the sun. "I think I could live in a place like this." She turned to Tyler. "Do you think we could do that? Once this is all over?"

"Do what?"

The espeon rubbed against Tyler's flank. "Live here."

Tyler hadn't given any thought to what they'd do if they actually found his family. He'd had the vague idea that they'd all go back to their home in the forest… _but honestly, I don't even know where that is from here_. He considered what Chloe was saying. _I don't know if that will ever happen…but maybe I'm just worrying too much_. The vaporeon finally smiled back at her. "I think that would be nice."

"I guess I'll have to learn how to swim," Chloe joked.

Tyler cocked his head. "Don't worry, I can help you."

Chloe laughed lightly. "I know." She breathed in again, tilting her face up to the sun before looking back at him. "Are you all right? I know seeing Skylar like that was hard. It was hard for me too, and I didn't even know him." She paused. "If you want to talk about it, I can listen."

He nodded slowly. "I think that would be good." The vaporeon took a deep breath. "I told you trainers aren't so bad, mostly. But sometimes they are. Like the Rockets, but I think they aren't the only ones." He shook his head. "I don't even know if all the Rockets are mean to their pokémon. A lot of the ones we've run into have acted kind of like other trainers, except they're trying to capture lots of pokémon—more than they can use. I don't know why. I think that's bad…but it's nothing next to what happened to my brother." Tyler looked at the espeon. "I don't understand why they think they can just hurt us like that. It's like they don't think we have feelings. Or maybe they just don't care." Tyler glared down at the water. "I know one thing, though. I'll never forgive that Rocket for what he did to Skylar."

The espeon nodded quietly. "I'll be with you. Whatever I have to do to get ready."

He leaned into her shoulder. "Thanks, Chloe."

Chloe practiced telekinesis for the rest of the afternoon, sending things whipping around and trying to pick up larger objects. Tyler wasn't sure what he could do to train, and he was still wondering where they'd find help. He slid into the lake to swim, avoiding the occasional magikarp. He found a little island with a few small trees and climbed back out of the water. He had a feeling that he was being watched and looked around, but didn't see anything, so after a few minutes he went back into the lake. He practiced Waterfall a little, enjoying the feeling of launching high into the air and splashing back down. After a while he came back to see how Chloe was doing.

"How is it going?" he greeted.

"Pretty well," Chloe said. "I'm getting more used to moving things around, and it's easier to control now."

"Three eons in one day? That's something," a voice said from above them. Tyler and Chloe both jumped, whirling around to stare up into the tree. Perched on a branch was a pokémon Tyler hadn't ever seen before. It was covered in light gray feathers, with darker gray lining its wings and tail. Oddly, it seemed to have four legs too. If Tyler had to guess, it would have been a cat—or an eon like them.

"How did you sneak up on us?" Chloe asked warily. **I should have sensed her,** she added to Tyler.

"I don't know. I was wondering if I could," the strange pokémon replied cheerily.

Tyler decided to set that aside for a moment. "Did you say three eons?"

The pokémon nodded. "You two, and a jolteon headed across the plains." The pokémon turned away, and her face fell. "He said a group of Catchers called the Rockets had him for a long time. He just wanted to be left alone. He's my brother, you know." Before Tyler or Chloe could respond, the pokémon looked at them again. "Which means you must be Tyler."

The vaporeon's mind was racing. There was only one member of his family left that he hadn't seen since they'd evolved—" _Sasha?_ How—what—how did you get all the way up here?"

"I got lost," his sister said, her cheery demeanor coming back. "You said run, and I ran. I had to hide a few times to get away from the Catchers. But then I didn't know where I was. And…are you Kara?" she asked excitedly.

"No, I'm Chloe," the espeon answered. "I met Tyler about a month ago. I've been coming with him since then."

"That's great!" Sasha congratulated her.

"So what did you do after you got lost?" Tyler asked, wanting to hear the rest of his sister's story.

"I didn't really know. I missed you all, but I didn't know where our den was. I just kept going. A few pokémon helped me." She wrinkled her nose and dropped from the branch to the ground, falling into a sitting position with her wings folded. "I wasn't ready to be on my own, I don't think."

"Neither was I," Tyler confided. "I managed to find my way back, but no one else ever came."

"What happened to them?" Sasha asked.

Tyler thought back. "I found Carson and Kara in a Rocket facility. They were being kept in a city in a valley. I got them out. Hopefully they're still free. Skylar was in the town just south of here. I think Mother and Father are too."

"Wait—really?" Sasha asked.

Chloe broke into the conversation. "I don't mean to interrupt, but—what are you? How did you evolve?"

"Oh—sorry!" Sasha exclaimed. "I don't meet a lot of new pokémon out here. I'm a galeon—a _flying_ eon."

"How _did_ you evolve?" Tyler asked.

The galeon gave him a conspiratorial look. "Remember how I never said what I wanted to be? Father said that he'd heard of a flying eon once. I never told anyone 'cause _I_ didn't know how I was supposed to evolve into that. But I wanted to. When I got lost, I talked to a lot of flying pokémon. All the ones I could find. And I started getting the idea to go up high. And then one day I saw that mountain." She looked up over her shoulder. "So I decided to go there. It took a long time—and climbing it was hard. But it worked. There's another galeon up there, or at least there used to be."

"Really? That's lucky," Chloe commented.

"I don't know about lucky," Sasha replied. "I was telling all the flying pokémon I met how I wanted to be like them. One day Lisa showed up and found me on the mountaintop. I guess word got around that there was a crazy eevee looking for her." Sasha glanced up at the mountain again. "She's gone now. But I see her sometimes when I'm out flying. She helped me evolve."

"What did you have to do?" Tyler asked.

"Jump off cliffs," the galeon replied cheerfully. "I think Lisa evolved by accident," Sasha added with another sideways glance. "She never admitted it, but I think she fell. She made sure to catch me until the one time I finally evolved."

"So you've been up here this whole time?"

Sasha nodded. "I wasn't sure how to get home—everything looks so _different_ when you're flying. What about you?"

Tyler recounted how he'd stayed alone in their den for a while before setting out to find the rest of their family, how he'd evolved and then gotten Carson and Kara out, how he'd been captured himself, and finally what he'd found out since being released. When he'd finished, Sasha looked at him. "That's a lot," she said softly. "I never knew they were keeping Skylar right here. I should have looked."

"I don't know if it would have made a difference," Tyler reassured her. "I trained with some pretty powerful pokémon, and even with Chloe's help I barely made it out with him. But we're here now." He cocked his head. "What can you do now, anyway?"

Sasha flourished her wings and tail. "Well, I can fly. I'm actually really fast, it's like the wind just knows where I want to go. And I can be really quiet. I don't know much about fighting, though. There aren't a lot of pokémon that can catch me in the air, so I just stay away from the dangerous ones."

Tyler nodded to himself. "It sounds like you get around a lot, though. It would help if you could keep an eye on the Rockets."

"What do they look like?" the galeon asked.

"They're Catchers, but they wear mostly black with white on their hands and feet. Remember, like the ones that came for us in the forest." He turned to Chloe. "Skylar said Father is still in there. Maybe Mother is too, so we have to try to get them out. It would be good to know if a lot of them leave."

Sasha waved her tail. "I can keep an eye on things." She looked at them. "It's great to have someone back again, Tyler."

He nodded. "I know. It's good to see you again, too. But…can you give Chloe and I some time alone?"

"Sure." Sasha winked at them. "I mostly live up on the mountain anyway, but I'll come see you. And I'll try not to surprise you next time." With one last look at them, Sasha spread her wings and shot into the air.

"What do you think?" Tyler asked.

"I'm glad it's not just us now," Chloe said. "I mean…not that there's anything wrong with just us…"

Tyler leaned in closer. "I know what you mean."

They found some thick grass near the lake's edge. Despite everything that had happened that day, Tyler found the lapping water comforting. Chloe fell asleep almost instantly; Tyler spent a few minutes thinking about his family, hoping they were all right. _I've found Carson, Kara, Skylar, and Sasha now, and Father's in there. I hope Mother is too. I'll find them and get them out. Whatever I have to do_. His thoughts drifted back to Claire, and the vaporeon silently thanked his trainer for giving him this chance. _I'm doing it, Claire_.

Chloe woke up again at dawn the next day; when Tyler came awake she was waiting for him. Despite everything that had been going on, it was a relaxing morning. There was no urgent need to do anything—they didn't have any way to attack the Rockets again. For now they would wait.

Sasha showed up during the morning to see how they were doing. The galeon hadn't seen anything new since the night before, so she watched Chloe practice for a few minutes before taking off again. Tyler enjoyed the peace in the area, although he felt a little guilty about it when he remembered that his parents were still trapped somewhere underground in the Rocket building. _It's not like we're doing nothing, though_ , he thought. _Chloe's training, we're watching in case something happens..._

Tyler decided to start thinking about ways to get into the Rocket facility. _Could_ they sneak in? _Probably not. They found us last time. The Rocket who had Skylar even said he was waiting for us. But what if I could go through those pipes again? I didn't see any way into them like in the other building, but it might be there somewhere_. One way or another, though, they were going to have to get down there. _I wonder what pokémon there are down there. Maybe they'd be able to help like Carson and Kara and all the others did the first time. But we have to find a way to get them out first. It'll be hard. I don't know how many ways there are down there, especially since it's underground_. The more Tyler thought about it, the more it seemed like they'd have to find a way to make an attack work.

The next two days went by almost the same. Tyler practiced a few things, but he didn't really know what he needed to work on with everything Claire had taught him. Chloe was working to figure out her powers, and the vaporeon helped where he could. He thought he'd heard of how she'd taken away the electric paralysis somewhere. "I think what you did was actually connect our feelings," he told her. "I was hurt but you weren't, so you…matched me to you."

"I didn't know I could do that," she said.

"I heard about it somewhere," Tyler explained. "It's a psychic ability. I think in battle, if you got burned or something you could make your opponent feel it too."

The espeon looked uncomfortable. "I don't know if I want to do that. Being that close to how you feel is one thing, but with a pokémon I'm fighting against?"

"It might save you sometime," he said. "I can't tell you what to do with your powers. But I think mine are simpler sometimes."

"I guess I have a lot to learn," Chloe said. "I never thought about it before I evolved…but psychic powers are _complicated_."

"I'll be with you, though," Tyler reassured her. "You don't have to figure it out alone."

Chloe twined her tail around his. **This might be sudden…but I love you. I didn't know how else to tell you**.

Tyler was taken aback for a moment, then he returned the gesture. _I think I do too. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't been there to save you. I used to just think I was helping you because I felt bad for you…but once you evolved I started realizing how much I care about you_ _ **for**_ _you, not just because you were in trouble_.

 **You might not have been able to tell…** Chloe gave him a look. **But I could. It's part of why I followed you after the Rockets. I didn't want you to have to go after them alone. I wanted to be there with you, whatever happened.**

Tyler pressed his nose into her soft fur. He didn't have any words for how he felt…but he thought maybe he didn't need any this time.

A little while later, Sasha showed up again with news. "You said to keep an eye on things," she started.

Tyler's pulse quickened in anticipation. "Are the Rockets leaving?"

"Well…no. But I was watching for anything out of the ordinary. Does a flying tree count?"

"What do you mean?" Tyler and Chloe both asked, sharing a confused look.

Sasha smiled. "I was out flying, and there was a big green pokémon flying along. It didn't look anything like I'd seen before, so I didn't get to close. And it was carrying a Catcher.

Tyler froze. "What did the Catcher look like?" he demanded.

"It was a female," his sister said, looking a little surprised at his reaction. "She didn't look like one of the Rockets."

Tyler's mind was racing. "It's her. Claire," he explained. " _My trainer_."

"Oh. Is that…good?"

The vaporeon nodded. "I trust her, and all her pokémon are at least as strong as I am. If we can get her help…we might actually be able to save our family."

* * *

 _March 29_

 _I feel like I'm two steps behind, but getting closer. This was my first long trip riding Tropius. He's not the fastest flyer, but he can keep going for a long time. It took a few days, but we crossed the whole Kanto region and he seems okay._

 _Anyway, we're here in Ecruteak now, and it sounds like Vaporeon has been busy. Apparently he was actually in the pokécenter, here, a few nights ago, with a jolteon and an espeon—I wish I could have been here. I wonder if they're the ones he was looking for. Nurse Joy said the local Team Rocket leader was trying to claim the jolteon, had some kind of shock collar (or something like it that works on electric pokemon) on it. If they are related, then I was right about him getting away from Team Rocket before. Asking around town, it sounds like the jolteon went one way on his own and Vaporeon headed north with the espeon. Once Tropius is rested up, I'm going to go look for him. Then maybe I can finally get to the bottom of things. If Team Rocket tried to hurt him…they're going to pay._


	44. Once and for All

_This is the second-to-last chapter of Tyler's Search. Chapter 45 will bring the story to its conclusion. It'll be here soon! -Polarissb_

* * *

Tyler woke early in the morning, excited. The sky was lightening, though the sun wasn't up yet. He flipped his head back and saw, to his mild surprise, that Chloe was still asleep. Ever since she'd evolved into espeon, she'd been up at dawn's first light. _I think this might be the first time I've woken up first_. This wasn't just any day, though. Today he was going to see his old trainer again—Claire, the girl who'd taught him that humans really _could_ care. Thinking back to how inexperienced he'd been with the world before his capture, Tyler was struck with a feeling of maturity. _I really didn't know anything back then_.

Chloe stirred, fell still again, and then sighed, twitching her tail in the grass. Tyler fell still, looking at her. After a moment she cracked an eye open, looking up at him through slitted lids. "Well, I don't think I can get back to sleep."

"Sorry," Tyler said.

The espeon pushed herself to her paws and shrugged. "You woke up. Not a lot to do about it." She yawned, cutting it off with a quick head shake and sitting down to smooth her fur.

Watching her, Tyler was struck by a thought. _What does having fur feel like?_ He had a few fuzzy memories of laying comfortably on pebble-strewn ground, but that was all. On impulse, the vaporeon rubbed against her soft shoulder.

"Tyler!" she protested, turning to the fur he'd just rubbed the wrong way.

"Sorry," he said quickly, smoothing it back down with a paw.

She turned back, and a twinkle came to her eye. "It's okay. You surprised me a little, that's all." In a lower voice she admitted, "I didn't know you _could_ surprise me anymore."

"You didn't sense that coming?" he asked, a little surprised himself.

"Well…no," she admitted. "Not till you moved." She looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "You're excited…Honestly that's why I couldn't get back to sleep. Having your feelings—everyone's feelings—running around my head can be annoying; sometimes I wish I could turn it off."

"Sorry," Tyler said again.

Chloe turned and slipped past him, fur sliding across his skin. **Other times it's just sweet,** the espeon added mentally. She gave him a smile, but it faded. **So…we're looking for your old Catcher today.**

 _Trainer,_ Tyler corrected automatically. _But yeah._

Chloe sidled closer. "Do you really think she'd help us?" she asked, out loud again.

He nodded. "If she understands what's going on, I know she will. Claire let me go when she figured out I was looking for my family. If she came here—if she knows we're here, which she might—I don't think it's a coincidence. She'd want to see me."

"What if she just wants to take you back?"

Tyler took a breath, thinking about it. He let it out slowly. "I don't think that would be why. She probably _would_ like me back…but I think she'd ask."

"She has your ball, though. She could just take you—isn't that how they work?"

"It is," Tyler admitted reluctantly. "I just…don't think she _would_. And if she did," he added, "It's not like she can make me do what she says. Not if she wanted things to be like before." He shook it off. "Claire won't. She isn't that kind of person." He took a breath. "If we can get her help, though, we could get inside again. I just don't know how."

"What do you mean?"

"I've just never seen Claire attack another trainer. All the battles we did were training, so she and the other trainer would agree to a battle. I just can't see the Rockets letting us in without a fight. We'd have to beat them and make them stay away from us while we went in to look."

Chloe looked at him. "Could we even beat them?"

"With Claire's help we can," Tyler said confidently. "One of the big advantages trainers have is they have different kinds of pokémon with them. Claire's team is a typhlosion, an ampharos, a murkrow, and a tropius, and they're all really powerful. Well, except maybe Olive." He thought of the murkrow. "But she's fast and she's good at fighting too."

"Are they really that strong?"

Tyler nodded. "Leo's a fire pokémon, but I don't know if I could beat him in a fight even with the water advantage. It would be close. I think Claire could easily take the Rockets here. We just have to convince her that we need to get inside their building."

"How are we going to do that?" the espeon asked.

Tyler sighed. "I don't really know. It took a long time for Claire to realize I was looking for my family. Hopefully she knows me well enough to get it this time. We should at least be able to lead her to where the Rockets are. Then maybe she'll see. I hope."

The two eons got something to eat, then sat at the lake's edge for a little while, watching the rising sun burn away the early morning mist that drifted across the surface. There was something peaceful about it. Tyler spent the time thinking, wondering how he could convince Claire to help them.

After a while Chloe nudged his shoulder. "There she is," the espeon murmured. Tyler looked up; after a moment he saw Sasha's winged grey form swooping down from the mountain. She leveled out into a sweeping curve low over the calm lake, one wingtip tracing a ripple across the water, then flared her wings wide. The galeon came to a stop in a few wingbeats, dropping onto her paws as she reached land.

Sasha took a deep breath, letting it out in a satisfied sigh. As she folded her wings she announced, "I think that's my favorite part of the morning." She cocked her head, gazing thoughtfully at Tyler. "So…I guess we're going."

Tyler took a deep breath, trying not to seem too excited in front of the other eons, who were both looking at him. He nodded, his mind going back to Claire. "It's time."

He led the way back toward the town, trying to decide what Claire would be doing. She'd probably spent the night in the pokécenter. Would she be awake yet? Would they have to go into town to look for her? _I hope not. None of the other trainers can catch me—well, except the Rockets I guess—but I shouldn't get too comfortable with being in town. Chloe and Sasha would still be at risk, and I know they don't like it._ The vaporeon nodded to himself. No point in looking for trouble. Unless trouble wore black and had Father and Mother.

As he normally did, Tyler avoided the path itself, instead cutting through the grass and undergrowth a short distance away, following trails made by other pokémon where he could. If someone was on the path—on the off chance that Claire was headed to the lake so early—Tyler knew he should be able to hear them. When they left the trees and the sky opened up, Sasha took to the air, looping up and around before dropping back down and shaking her head. She did it every few minutes; Tyler got the sense that his sister didn't like walking distances anymore. He asked a few times if she saw anything, but the galeon just shook her head again.

As they went, Tyler threw impatient glances the sun slowly rising through the sky. _Come on…_ It seemed like time was purposely passing slowly. Chloe followed behind him, as did Sasha when she was on the ground. Neither of them wanted to be the first to encounter a trainer. Tyler sighed to himself, knowing he couldn't explain why he felt the way he did. Some things just had to be experienced. A small part of him was worried now that Claire might try to take him back, but he shook the worry away. It still persisted a little, but for a new reason. Tyler didn't think he could stand being separated from Chloe now. _It'll be all right,_ the vaporeon told himself again.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked. Sasha looked at both of them.

"I still don't think she will…but you got me worried," Tyler admitted. "That she'll try to take me back."

"I wouldn't let her," Chloe said softly. "I know you like her…but if she tries to take you, I don't care. I'm not that scared little eevee anymore, I can take a ball and get you out of it if I need to. I'd stop her."

"It should be all right." Tyler decided not to pursue the matter further and changed the subject. "I wonder where she's at now. Sasha, can you go check the town? If you can't see her in the streets, watch the big red building."

Sasha nodded, spread her wings, and launched into the air again, flying ahead toward the town. Tyler and Chloe pressed on, keeping one eye on the sky. It was a while before the galeon came into view again; once Sasha saw them, she quickly dropped out of the air, panting. Tyler started to ask what she'd seen, but she forestalled him. "Gimme a sec…hovering is tough."

Tyler thought about that as Sasha turned her attention to breathing. "What about that tower? I'd think you could see the whole town from there."

His sister shot him a look. "You don't," she panted, "land on the tower."

"Oh." Tyler and Chloe waited for Sasha to get her breath back. Finally she heaved a massive breath and looked up at them.

"I saw your Catcher. I had to check the whole town, but it turned out she was in the red den like you said. I had to wait a while. She sent the big green pokémon out as soon as she stepped outside. They're flying around the town now. Probably looking for you—us."

"Why would they be looking for us in town?" Chloe asked.

"Sorry—not _in_ town. They're flying circles around, looking for you in the grass."

"How far away are we from the town?" Tyler wanted to know.

"Still a ways. They won't see us for a while."

"All right." Tyler nodded. "We'll have to get closer. Or what might be better…do you think you could lead them back here?"

The galeon sighed. "I probably can." She looked back at Tyler. "Really, I never thought I'd see anyone so excited to see a Catcher. _Especially_ one of my brothers."

"Sorry," Tyler replied. "I know it's kind of weird to you, but Claire can"—

"No," Sasha cut him off, "I mean, I don't get it, but…I get it." She sighed again, as if steeling herself. "All right…one Catcher coming up." She closed her eyes and gave her head a quick shake before opening her wings and taking off again.

Tyler turned to Chloe. "She doesn't seem very happy about this."

"I still don't know how happy _I_ am about it," the espeon replied. "She's scared, though."

Tyler let out a breath. _I guess I should have seen that coming._ "What about you?"

"I'm worried too. But you told me Claire is different from the other Catchers we've seen, and you're not scared of her. I'll give her a chance." The espeon met his eyes for a moment, then looked away.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to see." Tyler approached the path; they were closer to town now. The vaporeon tried to keep calm, but he couldn't stop his tail from twitching back and forth in anticipation. _I should get where they can see me_. He stepped out into the open, waiting. After a moment he looked back. Chloe had held back, still hidden in the grass.

 **Just in case…I'm going to wait back here for the moment. At least until you make sure it's really her and everything's all right. Okay?**

 _That's all right_ , he thought back. Tyler tried to imagine what it must be like for Chloe and Sasha, waiting and wondering why he'd want to see a human so badly. _I guess I finally understand what it was like for Aries_.

The wait stretched on longer than he wanted. Tyler strained, stretching out with all his senses—even his water sense, though it wasn't any use for this. All he sensed was the river. _It's odd. I was fine before. It's just now that I know we're close that I can't stand waiting_. He stood, alternately staring at the sky and closing his eyes to listen. _Where are they? Where's Sasha gotten to? Come on…_ The vaporeon sighed through his teeth, scanning the horizon for something—anything. _Come on_ …

…

A noise reached Tyler's ears. He quieted his breathing and stood still, straining for another sound. It came again, a slow, powerful swish of air through leaves that he could make out even from this distance. He froze. _That's Alan flying._ No bird could make that huge, dry-edged sound. He swept his tailfin from side to side in anticipation, ignoring the intermittent swish as he hit grass on one side. It seemed so _long_ ago that he'd left Claire and her team behind. Now they were only seconds apart.

A green dot appeared over a tree, high in the air. Tyler's breath caught. After all this time… _It's her_. "Claire! Alan!" Tyler called. "I'm down here!"

There was no response, though the tropius kept flying closer. _Maybe they haven't seen me yet_. He ran towards them, staying on the path. "Down here!" he called again.

This time Alan noticed him. "Tyler!" The tropius went into a dive, eliciting a cry of surprise from Claire, who Tyler could vaguely make out on his back. Alan landed, his four wings kicking up dust and leaves and forcing Tyler to shield his eyes for a moment. He looked back as the air settled, searching past Alan's large green form for a moment. Claire was seated on Alan's back between his front and back pairs of wings, looking around.

The trainer looked a little different, older somehow—even though it had only been…what? A month? She had on some kind of dark vest that hadn't been there before, but it was _her_. Then she saw him. A moment of sheer delight struck Tyler as Claire froze and gasped, bringing a hand up, then called out to him: "Vaporeon! Is it really you?"

"It is me!" Tyler broke into a run, dashing across the rest of the distance.

Claire slid off Alan's back and dropped to one knee, laughing and catching Tyler in a hug as he plowed into her. "Oh, Vaporeon, I've missed you." He felt a tear soak into his skin and snuggled a little closer, putting his head on the trainer's shoulder. An arm came up to his neck. "What happened to the stone I gave you, Vaporeon?" Claire asked softly. He let his fins droop. _How can I explain losing it?_ "It's all right," she offered after a moment. "I understand. Life can be tough for pokémon in the wild." She hugged him tighter. "Like I said before…if you want to come back I'll always, _always_ have a place for you." After a few moments Claire let him go. Seeing the uncertain look in his eyes she reached down to her belt, changing the subject. "You know, Typhlosion has been really excited to see you too. Want to say hi?"

While she reached for Leo's ball, Alan caught Tyler's eye. "It's good to see you again," the tropius said, his voice warm.

"You too, Alan. It feels like it's been forever." He was going to say more, but an opening ball stole his attention. A moment later, Leo engulfed the vaporeon in another hug.

"Tyler! You're back!" The typhlosion looked as excited as Tyler had ever seen him.

"It's good to see you too! What's happened? How did things go at the League?" Tyler asked, with a prickle of guilt.

"Well…we didn't win. We did really well, though," the typhlosion added, seeing Tyler glance away.

"Sorry I wasn't there," the vaporeon said.

"It's all right…mostly," Leo said, sounding almost reluctant as he added the last word. "We missed you, but I know why you left. Oh—is she one of the ones you were looking for?" he added, as Chloe poked her head hesitantly out of the grass behind them. As soon as Leo noticed her, she shrank back again.

Tyler hesitated, trying to figure out how to answer. "Sort of," he finally said. "Chloe isn't…" he looked up at the typhlosion. "I met her up near Victory Road." He decided not to take the time to tell the whole story. "Anyway, she decided to come help me find the rest of my family."

"Well, good to meet you too!" Leo's grin stretched from ear to ear. "I still can't believe we met again like this."

Tyler smiled at the outburst. "You're _really_ excited to see me again, aren't you?" The vaporeon looked around, wondering where Sasha was. "My sister is around here somewhere, but she's really nervous around…well…Catchers. She said she saw Claire…well, actually she saw Alan, yesterday. We figured out where you were and came to meet you."

"She found us. Didn't say anything, though. But I could tell she wanted us to follow her. Once I got close enough to you she just kind of disappeared," Alan put in. "I didn't see where she went."

"All right." Tyler nodded. "Maybe she'll come back in a bit."

"So are you coming back?"

Tyler folded his fins back, trying to decide how to answer his friend's question. "Leo, I still cant…" He paused, trying to think of how to say it. "I still have to find my family. That's actually why I'm here—the Rockets are keeping them in this town. I found my brother Skylar there and got him away, but my parents are still down there and the Rockets are ready for us now. I need your help. _We_ need your help."

"I get it," the typhlosion replied. "We'll help" —he broke off and glanced back at Claire. "At least I want to. Hopefully Claire will too."

"Oh, Vaporeon," Claire folded her legs and sat on the ground, breaking into the conversation again. "It's so good to see you again. I've got a lot to tell you. And…I wish you could talk." _I can talk,_ Tyler thought, _but I know what you mean_. "We did it, though. We couldn't beat the whole League without you, but Lance was impressed enough he got them to make me a Master anyway. Said it was about heart, not just power. We've been hearing that a lot, haven't we?

"Anyway, ever since I found out Team Rocket was the reason you were so unhappy, I've been looking into them. I haven't found anything yet, but they've got a reputation for that kind of thing. I know there are some around here, but I just got here last night and I don't know where they're at. I'm guessing you do, though, don't you?" The girl looked at him. "I heard about the jolteon in the pokécenter, I'm guessing he was one of the ones you were looking for. And the espeon over there too?" Tyler just nodded.

 **Is it all right to come out?** Chloe asked Tyler mentally.

He looked back at her and nodded. _It's fine._ The espeon hesitantly left the shelter of the plants and came over, stepping lightly and keeping Tyler between her and the trainer. The vaporeon couldn't help feeling a little protective at that moment.

"It's okay," Leo called. "We're not here to fight, Tyler's our friend."

Tyler looked back over at his mate. "Sorry, I should have introduced them. This is Leo, and the tropius is Alan."

Chloe was silent for a few moments, a distant look in her eyes. Finally she nodded to them and said, "It's good to meet you." **I contacted Sasha,** she added privately. **She's coming now, I told her it's okay.**

"Thanks," Tyler replied out loud. He headed over to Claire again, looking at the other balls she carried.

She smiled. "Want to see everyone, huh? Where are my manners? I should have sent them out already." Before she sent out any other pokémon, everyone was distracted by a rustle in the grass as Sasha emerged. The galeon saw everyone staring at her and backed off a little bit.

Claire looked perplexed. "Well, hi there," she said in a gentle voice. "What are you?"

Sasha shrank back further as Claire pulled something out. "It's all right," Tyler reassured her. "That's just a pokédex. Claire's supposed to keep track of what pokémon she runs into, and I don't think she's ever seen a galeon before."

"What if she tries to catch me?" Sasha asked. Claire was talking again; Tyler tried to juggle translating with reassuring his sister.

"Claire knows I hate catching pokémon. She wouldn't do it— _especially_ not to my family. She just wants to see what kind of pokémon you are. She's nice. Really."

"I've never been this close to Catchers before," Sasha said, ruffling her wings nervously.

"Neither have I," Chloe added, though Tyler thought she seemed calmer than his sister. "I think Tyler's right, though—it doesn't feel like she's about to try anything."

"Of course not!" Leo put in indignantly. "We didn't come all the way across the region to capture you. We came because Tyler's part of our team. We couldn't just leave him to deal with the Rockets on his own."

"Thanks, Leo," Tyler said. Claire had finished whatever she was doing with the pokédex and had now tilted her head, studying the screen intently.

"What's she saying now?" Sasha asked.

"She's never heard of a galeon before," Leo told her. "Neither have I, for that matter. We've seen a lot of pokémon while we're traveling, but never one like you before."

"Oh—well—thanks, I guess." Sasha somehow managed to sound proud, embarrassed, and nervous all at once.

"So what are we doing?" Leo turned back to Tyler, but the conversation was cut off as Claire started sending out the rest of her team. Tyler waited, counting a little apprehensively. _Miranda…Olive…and that's all._ Tyler felt a weight lift off of him. _She didn't replace me_. Even though he didn't want to go back to his ball with Claire's team again, Tyler found it somehow comforting.

Miranda straightened up. "So we found you again after all," the ampharos said.

"I thought we might," Alan put in. "I just didn't know it would be this soon."

"Claire told us she heard about you up here," Olive said, flapping closer. "She said the Rockets must be up to something and that was why you'd be here. What's going on?" The murkrow cocked her head curiously.

"Well…" Tyler began. "I'm really glad you're here. All of you. It's good to see you again. This is Chloe, by the way, and this is my sister Sasha."

"Wouldn't Chloe be your sister too?" The question came from Olive.

The espeon stepped forward. "No, Tyler met me about a month ago." She glanced over at Tyler. "We're mates." **I love saying that,** she added in his mind.

"Really?"

Tyler nodded. "I found her a few days after Claire let me go."

"That was almost on the other side of the region," Miranda pointed out. "How did you get all the way up here?"

"We ran across some Rockets," the vaporeon explained. "They caught us by surprise and beat us, and they had some kind of ball that worked on me even though Claire has mine. Then I think they flew here."

"So then how did you get away?" Alan asked.

"We surprised them. Chloe could tell when we'd landed, so I spent the whole time healing. Once we were on the ground again, I broke the ball they had me in, took the bag with Chloe's ball in it, and ran before they could get up. We didn't mean to end up here, but the Rockets here had my brother. And they still have my parents.

"That's why I'm really glad Claire came," Tyler went on. "The Rockets will be waiting for us now. We won't be able to sneak in and out, and we don't stand a chance on our own. We need your help to win this fight."

"That's what teams are for," Leo assured him.

"That's not what he's worried about," Chloe put in.

Tyler looked at her. "She's right. I'm sure you'll all help, but I still have to find a way to get Claire to understand what we're doing." He looked up at the girl. "We can't do very much without her."

"We might be able to start by showing her the place you're trying to get into," Olive suggested. "Why don't you lead us there?"

Tyler's instinctive response was to say they couldn't go during the day. _Wait—we'll be with Claire. It's not like trainers will be trying to catch us_. "We can try that." Chloe moved up next to him and the two eons led the way back toward town.

"Where are you going, Vaporeon?" Claire asked. Tyler paused and tossed his head impatiently toward the town. _Come on! Just follow us!_

Claire seemed puzzled, but after a few moments she recalled Alan, Miranda, and Olive. Leo headed to follow the two eons toward the town, and finally Claire came too. As they started moving, Sasha called, "Wait!" and darted out of the grass, shying around Claire and the typhlosion to fall in with Tyler and Chloe.

"Slow down a bit," Leo called from behind. "Claire and I weren't made for running like this." Tyler slowed his pace a bit so Claire and Leo could follow at a walk. _We're close,_ the vaporeon reassured himself. _It still won't take too long to get there_. Sure enough, before too long the tower appeared on the horizon. As they got closer to the town, Tyler started throwing glances back at Claire, trying to decide how much she understood. _She knows there are Rockets in this town, and she knows they have something to do with my family. It'll have to be enough. She'll help. Won't she?_

At the edge of town Tyler hesitated, then pressed on. "Where are we going?" Sasha asked.

"We're going to lead Tyler's trainer to the Rockets," Chloe answered. " _Hopefully_ , she'll help us." Somehow the way she said it didn't make Tyler feel hopeful. Beyond showing Claire the Rockets, Tyler wasn't sure how to explain the situation to his trainer. _They have rules_ …Tyler's words from a few nights ago came back to him. _Would_ Claire be willing to fight outside training?

Tyler cut around the edge of town, stopping far enough from the Rockets' building that they couldn't be seen. There was a guard there as before. He turned back to Claire, who took a moment to look things over for herself. Then the trainer crouched down to speak to him. "All right, Vaporeon. What are we supposed to do?" She gave him a look. "We can't just go around attacking people, even if it is Team Rocket. They _used_ to deal in a lot of illegal stuff, but that stopped a few years ago. Even as a Master I can't just go in there without good reason to think they're doing something wrong." Tyler gave her a disappointed look and drooped his fins, turning back to look at the guard. "Listen, Vaporeon, I'll look around for a few days and see if anything's off. I want to help you, but we have to do this the right way."

 _She won't find anything_. Tyler knew that instantly. And he didn't want to wait. _If there was something to see outside, someone around here would have noticed it by now. I have to do something_.

"Tyler," Chloe asked, sounding nervous, "you're making me worried." Sasha and Leo looked at them in confusion.

"All right," Tyler admitted, "I have one idea. It's a little dangerous, but maybe I can convince Claire to help us against the Rockets."

"How?"

"I'll show her what they do." Before anyone could argue, Tyler pushed through the brush that hid them and headed directly for the Rocket guard. He stiffened as he saw the vaporeon; Tyler saw him grip a ball from a distance, but he didn't send a pokémon out. _Come on_ , Tyler thought. If he had to attack, Claire would just see it as him. He did notice the Rocket speaking into something, holding the ball in his other hand.

As the vaporeon got close enough to hear, the Rocket called out. "So, you're back again. I'm not going to let you in. Go ahead and try."

 _I can't just attack_. Tyler knew any aggressive move would give the human the advantage. _Even if I win a battle, it doesn't change anything_. The Rocket was still talking. "Come on. You want to try me?" His other hand was behind his back now; Tyler felt a sudden prickle of danger along his spine. He stood his ground—getting attacked _was_ the point here. _Be ready…_

 **Be careful,** Chloe sent. **I think something's about to happen.**

 _I think so too…I just hope whatever it is convinces Claire to help_. He kept moving, and the Rocket called to him again. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Tyler turned back at the sound of footsteps. A moment later, balls started flying through the air. The area lit up with flashes as they opened, and a moment later Tyler found himself facing not one but five pokémon, spread all around him. "You're not getting away this time," the Rocket sneered as his two companions fell into position. "Proton needs a replacement for that jolteon—you'll do nicely." Tyler sent water streaming through his skin, getting ready for the fight. He repelled the first wave of attacks with an Aqua Tail all around, though he knew it was almost hopeless. Even with his training, five against one—and three trainers… _I guess we got them **really** mad_. Tyler dodged, put a water blast into a koffing's face, and took a hit in the side from a golbat. He scrambled to his paws to see a magnemite about to discharge a burst of electricity.

Before it hit, everything unexpectedly went white. Tyler barely had time to register that he was in his old ball before it lit up again, depositing him back with Claire and the others. The trainer was storming towards the Rockets, with Leo a pace behind. "Well, what do you know?" she asked, stowing his ball back in her pocket. "Turns out Vaporeon was right about you." Claire was gritting her teeth between phrases, the vaporeon noted with a surge of triumph.

 _This_ was what Tyler had wanted. Claire hadn't ever seen the side of Rockets that Tyler had. This time was different. It wasn't just him now; Claire was _coming with him._ He watched as the confrontation unfolded. _Maybe she'll finally **really** understand why I attacked them that day_.

"Oh?" a Rocket retorted. His clothes were a little different than the other two. "How so?"

"I've got reason to believe you're engaging in illegal activity."

The Rocket crossed his arms. "And what would that be, miss?"

"Don't call me that. I'm a Master. And I just saw you gang-attack my vaporeon."

"It's yours? Well, you should keep a closer eye on it, _miss_." The Rocket shrugged. "It's been running around causing trouble. It was getting what it deserved."

"Master," Claire corrected again. The Rocket gave another shrug.

"Whatever. Anyway, it doesn't mean you can just barge in here like that. This was a setup and you know it. _Miss._ "

Claire paused to glare at him, taking a slow breath. Then she went on the offensive. "Not exactly. See, I have reason to believe you're hiding something here." Her voice went cold. "I talked to Nurse Joy. I know all about what went down in the pokécenter this week. Vaporeon took a jolteon out of here. A jolteon with a shock collar—which is inhumane and _extremely_ illegal. And given the way he keeps coming back here, I'd say you're keeping some other pokémon here. With the state that jolteon was in, I have a responsibility to make _sure_ there's nothing going on with the other pokémon here." Now it was the girl's turn to shrug. "It probably would've come to this anyway, but you just ganged my vaporeon right in front of me. I can't ignore that and I am _not_ going to wait. So. Are you going to let me see what's going on in here, or am I going to fight you for it?" She pulled out two more balls. "See, five-on-five, I can do just fine."

Claire looked down at Tyler and spoke more quietly. "Ready to join in?" Tyler nodded and stepped in front of her as the trainer sent out Miranda and Olive, followed by Alan. Tyler hadn't ever seen her send out her whole team in a battle; from the looks on the Rockets' faces, they weren't ready for it either. A surge of confidence washed over him. Nothing the Rockets had was going to stop them this time.

The lead Rocket made a frustrated noise in his throat. "Don't think we're just going to roll over for you." All three retreated into the building, but a koffing and a weezing started belching thick green and purple smoke as they floated through the doorway, creating a wall of mingling poison gases.

"All right, Vaporeon," Claire said. "I guess we're doing this." She straightened up. "Tropius—Gust!" The girl sliced a hand through the air. Tyler and the others backed up as Alan reared onto his hind legs and spread his massive green wings. The tropius stood motionless for a moment, drawing in a deep breath, then swept his wings forward. Tyler had to close his eyes as the attack kicked up wind all around; he opened them in time to see Alan's attack smash into the noxious fog like a punch from a machamp. Alan kept up the assault, blowing a clear hole and dispersing fumes in all directions.

"How is he doing that?" Sasha asked from beside Tyler. He turned to see mixed surprise and awe stamped across her face. "Even with wings that big…he's _aiming_ _wind_. How do you do that?"

"Why don't you ask him?" The vaporeon couldn't help chuckling at the stare his answer drew. "Alan's a friend. He can probably teach you."

"Are you sure?"

Tyler laughed. "Go on! Just because he's with a trainer doesn't make him that different. I was with Claire for almost a year too, remember? Alan's fine."

His sister considered him for a moment. "Oh." She looked surprised. "Okay." As they moved toward the door, Tyler watched her trot timidly over to Alan and say something he couldn't catch. Alan's head tilted in a gesture Tyler recognized, and the tropius started chatting animatedly with her.

Chloe came up next to him. **That changed fast.**

 _What did?_

 **She's not afraid anymore.**

Tyler paused. _What about you?_

The espeon sighed. **I'm sorry, Tyler. I'm not ready to trust a human just like that.** She grimaced. **Maybe ask again tomorrow. When I've been able to watch her for a while.**

Tyler nodded, forcing down a pang of disappointment. He couldn't really expect more than that from a pokémon who'd never been with humans. _I would never trust a human back when I lived in the wild. I guess I can understand_. Chloe returned a wordless agreement.

They moved inside, trading sun for dimmer human-made lights. Tyler hadn't seen much of the place the first time, but he didn't have time to stare. Walking along with Claire's team plunged him back into the world he'd spent nearly a year as part of. There was a comfort to knowing they were together, a group that covered each other's weaknesses and knew how to work together to beat anything that attacked them.

Like Rockets.

Claire's voice drew Tyler's attention, and he realized they were at the corner in the hall. He looked around, remembering. This was the spot where he'd had to fight his brother. Tyler could almost see that Rocket's face. _Claire's here. We'll deal with him this time._ The vaporeon ran forward, leading the way towards the steps that led down into the _real_ building. Tyler realized there always seemed to be an underground part to Rocket buildings. Maybe because they had something to hide.

They descended the steps, their steps echoing off the metal. Going down was harder than coming up; stairs were definitely made for humans. When they reached the bottom, Claire asked, "Which way now?"

Tyler looked around. The lights were brighter now, and he could hear more Rockets around this time. Probably waiting for them. "Which way do you think?" he asked Chloe. He glanced to the left. "We didn't go that way last time."

The espeon gave him an unreadable glance. "I guess we probably should." Tyler decided not to worry about it right then and nodded, padding to the left. Everyone followed. The scent of pokémon was definitely stronger this way.

The hall passed through a doorway and opened into a larger chamber lit by the actinic glare of large lights in the ceiling. Tyler noticed some chairs and things, all pushed against a wall. There were large machines along the sides too; Tyler had no idea what they would be for. There wasn't any time to worry about it, either; Rockets started pouring in through two other doors. _They were waiting for us_.

"That's far enough." The speaker was the Rocket leader from before. The one who'd had Skylar. Tyler couldn't keep back a growl, but he didn't attack. It wasn't like the time he'd run across the Rockets unprepared with Claire. They were ready.

The Rocket leered and called out an order, and the room filled with the sound of opening balls. Within moments they were surrounded. "You're in over your head here. Last chance to turn back."

"Not on your life," Claire answered.

"Do you really think you can mess with our plans?"

"I'm not here about your plans," the girl answered. "Not right now, anyway. If you're going this far to hide things, though, it won't just be me next time." Under her breath she added, "Typhlosion, Vaporeon, get ready." They both nodded; Leo started taking deep, slow breaths, sending out a small spray of sparks from his neck each time, ready to flare up. Tyler started streaming water through his skin. Claire took a deep breath before continuing. "I've got enough evidence to bring the League here in force. They'll find out what your plans are."

"You haven't been at this very long, have you?" the Rocket replied. "The League doesn't act that fast. We'll be done here before anything happens. Last chance—get out of here."

" _No_ ," Claire retorted. "Typhlosion, Vaporeon, I need an opening. Flame Wheel and Waterfall!"

Everything erupted into chaos. Tyler gathered his water and blasted into the enemy pokemon's ranks. On his left, Leo went spinning into them too, cloaked in blazing sparks. As his momentum ran out, he heard, "Aqua Tail all around!" He complied, sweeping a wall of water in a circle. The enemy pokémon reformed and started their own attacks. Tyler was listening with one ear, but Claire was sending out the rest of her team.

 **Tyler!** A few swift stars sprayed into the massed pokémon, distracting them for a second. Tyler was surprised too, and almost missed Claire's next order.

"Vaporeon! Acid Armor!" Jolted back into action, Tyler hurriedly liquefied. A moment later, a wave of massive razor leaves tore into the enemy pokémon. Several went right through him. He reformed to see a golbat firing a confusion burst at him, and the vaporeon held his ground as everything started spinning. There was a flash and a crackle of electricity ahead of him; Miranda must have joined the fight. Tyler set his paws and shook his head, trying to clear it. He couldn't risk moving like this, even as more attacks hit him. Something charged from the side and knocked him over, so Tyler liquefied again and collapsed into a puddle, sliding between legs across the wet floor while he got his bearings back.

The vaporeon pulled himself back together, finding himself out of the crowd. "Oh, Vaporeon, there you are. We need to get the fliers down. Use Ice Beam!" While Tyler started the attack, Claire called, "Murkrow! Down!" Tyler let the ice beam go and turned to sweep it through the air above the battle, sending zubat, golbat, a pidgeotto, and several koffing plummeting to the ground. "Thanks, Vaporeon! Can you help Typhlosion now?" Tyler nodded and she turned away again, already calling out more orders. Alan let loose another wave of razor leaves from his position immediately in front of Claire as Tyler gathered his water back and spun into an Aqua Tail attack, taking a rhyhorn from behind as he got close. Two other pokémon turned toward him, but he charged between them to cover Leo's back, wary of the typhlosion's mane blazing out to twice its normal size.

"How are you doing?" he asked Leo.

"Not bad," the typhlosion responded between jets of fire. "You?"

Tyler fended off an advancing ekans with an aurora beam. "It's good to fight with a team again," he admitted.

Before they had time for anything else, Claire called to them. "Vaporeon, use Aqua Ring, now! Typhlosion, Eruption!" Tyler hurriedly cocooned himself in water as Leo flared up and sent fire exploding everywhere. The attack sent Tyler flying into the air. "Waterfall!" Claire called. Tyler zeroed in on an arbok writhing back from the fire. _I can do this. I'm not alone this time_. As gravity started to pull him down, Tyler triggered the attack and hit the snake pokémon from above, knocking it to the floor. He desperately snapped off an aurora beam, trying to keep it from recovering and attacking. It writhed, knocking Tyler's paws out from underneath him. As the vaporeon tried to scramble back to his paws, Olive swooped in and cloaked the area in darkness.

Tyler instantly felt more comfortable. He'd done this many times before—it was just a matter of sensing where the arbok broke the water. It wouldn't be able to see him. Tyler guessed where its head would be and let loose with Hydro Pump before backing off. A few moments later the darkness dissipated. Tyler noticed there were a lot fewer enemy pokémon out now, and the Rockets were falling back. "Come on!" he called, seeing their leader disappearing through one of the doors, still calling out orders to the others. Chloe came a little hesitantly, Sasha followed even more so.

He proceeded carefully towards the door, breathing heavily. They were in the clear; Leo and Miranda were dealing with the last few pokémon. As he watched, one of the Rockets summoned them back, leaving the ampharos alone. She had a few scratches and was breathing hard too, but that was all. Tyler smiled at her. "Good to be back."

Miranda snorted. "They're not very good, it's hardly a challenge."

 _Not all together it's not_ , Tyler thought to himself. If it had just been him and Chloe—or even if they had Sasha _and_ Skylar with them—he didn't think they would have done half as well. Maybe not have even made it out of this fight.

Claire walked up to them. "Vaporeon," she asked, "are you all right?" He confirmed that he was—the human girl could generally understand a yes or no—and she nodded. "Everyone else?" Claire examined each of them in turn, pulling out a potion once or twice to spray on injuries, but that was all. Miranda had been right; the fight hadn't been too bad. Sasha and Chloe hadn't been touched at all, since they'd been hanging back. Tyler still wasn't sure whether his sister had learned anything about fighting beyond what they'd been taught as kits.

Claire knelt next to him. "Vaporeon, their boss was saying something about 'ferals,' do you know what those are?" Tyler shook his head. He hadn't seen much of what was down here, and he'd never heard that word before. The trainer looked up again. "All right. Let's move."

They headed out of the chamber, down another hall. Tyler dropped back a little, closer to Chloe and Sasha. "No one's waiting for us so far," the espeon reported.

"Maybe we already beat them all." _I hope_ , Tyler added silently. Claire was still being careful; she hadn't returned any of her team.

Chloe threw a wary glance around. **Hopefully. But what about after?**

 _What do you mean?_ Tyler asked, automatically continuing the conversation mentally.

 **Your… _trainer_.**

 _What about her?_ he asked again, still wondering what Chloe could mean.

 **You said she wouldn't try to take you back. But she already used your ball once.**

 _That was…different,_ Tyler protested. _She was pulling me out of a trap_.

 **I know that.** Chloe paused. **That's why I didn't attack her that time. But…what about next time? If she wants you to leave with her…** Chloe trailed off. Tyler looked up expectantly, but she didn't meet his eyes.

 _What's wrong?_

 **I'm…I'm afraid, Tyler. That you'll go.**

 _Of course not_. Tyler gave the espeon a smile.

 **I'm not sure. You've been excited ever since you _heard_ that she was around. And from what I saw a few minutes ago, it would be easy for you to go back. You looked just like her other pokémon, ** Chloe finished bitterly. **It's like you never really left.**


	45. Because We're Family, Part 1

_I…_ Tyler started to protest. He wasn't like that. He couldn't be. _Not without Mother and Father. I promised a long time ago that I'd find them. They matter more than Claire. She doesn't need me, they do_.

 **And if they're here?** Chloe asked, her mental voice accusatory. **If we find them and get them back from the Rockets today, what next?**

"Is something wrong?" Sasha asked, looking back and forth between them. "You're both acting weird."

Chloe answered first. "It's nothing." Tyler just sighed and nodded. If he was being honest—and if Chloe wasn't listening in on his thoughts—having Claire back was comforting. He hadn't realized how much strain it had put on him to take care of everything himself, or all the anxiety about going up against Rockets alone, until his trainer had shown up. He wouldn't have learned even half of what he knew about fighting now without her help in the first place. _I'm not here to go back with her_ , Tyler told himself.

"What's that noise?" Leo asked.

"What noise?" Miranda responded.

"I don't know," Olive put in, "but it's getting louder."

Tyler and Chloe shared a look. "I don't hear anything," the vaporeon offered.

"Me neither," Sasha added.

"You really can't hear that?" Leo asked. A moment later he clamped his paws over his ears.

"What's wrong?" the trainer asked. Olive looked like she was in pain too; the murkrow had landed and her shoulders were hunched. Neither she nor Leo responded to Claire. The hallway suddenly seemed much less friendly—had the lights been this dim the whole time? _No_ , Tyler thought, _there goes another one_. The Rockets must be turning them off; only a few scattered lights still showed the way.

"I can hear _that_ ," Alan said, looking down the hall. They all looked where the tropius had indicated; it took a moment before Tyler heard a growl in the shadows.

Claire picked Olive up and turned back to them, concerned. "Come on. Let's speed things up. Something's wrong." She hurried down the hall and they followed, Leo at the back. Miranda and Claire both kept throwing worried glances back at him. Tyler was more worried at the moment about whatever was waiting for them ahead.

They continued hurriedly; Leo was moaning and sucking hissing gasps through his teeth now. Claire wavered back and forth, but finally pulled out the typhlosion's ball and returned him to it. She held the ball in her hand for a few moments, concern painted across her features.

 **What's going on? This isn't right.**

"I don't know," Tyler replied aloud, casting a worried glance at the murkrow in Claire's other arm. "I've never seen anything happen like this before. I don't think Claire has either." The truth shook him. Leo and Olive were somehow down without a fight, Claire didn't know what was happening, and Tyler's feeling of confidence was rapidly deserting him.

After a few moments Claire turned to the hall again. Another growl sounded, and Tyler stiffened for a moment, shivers going all the way down to his tailfin. "Ampharos," Claire said, "you take point. Static anything that touches you." Miranda nodded grimly and stepped forward, her tail brightening until it cast shadows of them all across the floor. Claire, Chloe, and Sasha all took a step back, fur and hair standing on end; even Tyler could feel a little of Miranda's building electricity in his ruff.

"All right," the trainer whispered again, "let's move." They continued cautiously forward, Miranda's tail casting bobbing shadows forward as she walked. _Something_ was dodging from side to side, avoiding the light, and its growls got louder, more insistent with each movement. Tyler realized he was walking tensed to attack. He wasn't the only one. Chloe's tail was flicking back and forth, her crystal glowing, and Sasha had half lifted her wings. Somehow, after they'd been beaten, the Rockets were turning the tables on them. _This is their territory,_ the vaporeon thought. _And we're walking right into the middle of it_.

A thin red shape hurled itself out of the shadows onto Miranda, rebounding with a sharp _crack_. The ampharos's tail went dim in the same instant, but it quickly started brightening again. "Vaporeon!" Claire called, falling back. Tyler lunged forward as the mysterious enemy attacked again, meeting it head-on and bringing it to a halt. In Miranda's brightening light he made out a furious scizor. It got one claw around his tail and another around his forelegs and squeezed. As the pressure became unbearable, the vaporeon liquefied. The scizor madly slashed and bit at him, heedless that it wasn't getting anywhere. Tyler couldn't reform under the relentless onslaught; he couldn't get away like this either, and while he wasn't in danger at the moment, the insect's metal armor meant Alan wouldn't get anywhere hurling razor leaves through the vaporeon like they normally did. Miranda couldn't use a shock on it without hurting him too… _We need Leo right now_.

Alan slammed into the scizor in a full-body tackle, knocking it away and scattering Tyler's liquid body. The vaporeon pulled himself back together and reformed fully. A flickering flame lit the hallway a little further on—had Claire sent out Leo while he was trapped? He didn't think so, but there _was_ a typhlosion barreling towards them. It hurled itself on the scizor and tropius with a roar, not seeming to care who it hit. Alan was taken by surprise and stumbled back, taking a few nasty burns and slashes from both pokémon, but the scizor turned to the newcomer and started slashing at it with the same fury. Both pokémon seemed completely berserk… _Ferals. That's what Claire said._ The name seemed chillingly appropriate.

Olive was thrashing in Claire's arms now, letting out pained chirps and croaks. "This is bad." Claire looked pained. "Hang in there, Murkrow." She pulled out Olive's ball, but before she could use it Olive spasmed hard, dropping out of the girl's arms to the floor. The murkrow started evolving on the way down; as the blinding light faded she turned and launched herself on Claire, now a honchkrow. Tyler and Miranda converged on her; neither of them could risk elemental attacks with their teammate so close to Claire. Tyler got to them first and whirled, knocking Olive off Claire with a solid tail slam. She let out a long screech, cut off by Miranda as she bulled the newly evolved honchkrow back into a wall and put a static charge through her. Olive went stiff and stopped struggling.

"Out of the way!" Claire sat up, panting, and returned Olive to her ball. Her face and arms were a mess of scratches, and the girl's clothing had torn in several places. Some of them were bloody. "We've got to find out what's doing this. Find it…and stop it, before it hits the rest of you." She struggled to her feet.

 **Tyler…** Chloe contacted him, and the vaporeon turned to see her crystal flashing some distance away. **Something's really wrong with these pokémon. I've been trying to read them this whole time, but there's almost nothing there. Just anger. And…I don't think they know what's going on. They're not really even thinking. Just attacking anything that gets close.**

The espeon seemed rattled. Tyler was too; seeing pokémon turned mindless like this was chilling. _It…could be us next_. Tyler tried to banish the thought, not wanting to worry Chloe further, but it didn't help.

 **I know.**

 _Leo and Olive said they were hearing a noise_ , Tyler thought.

 **Yeah. If you start hearing one, tell me.**

 _If I start hearing one I'll_ _ **make**_ _Claire put me back in my ball. It's too dangerous_.

 **Tell me first. Please. Maybe I can protect you—like I did with the paralysis.**

 _All right_ , _we'll try it,_ Tyler agreed reluctantly. _I just wish I knew why this is happening_. He thought for a moment. _We'll need your help now too with Leo and Olive gone and Alan hurt_. The tropius wasn't in bad shape, not yet, but he'd taken at least one fire attack from the typhlosion. _Who knows how many more pokémon we'll meet like this?_

It was a scene out of nightmare. Miranda and Tyler alternated water and lightning attacks, driving the enraged typhlosion and scizor down the dim hallway as they advanced until another pair of honchkrow rounded a corner from the left. One was flapping raggedly; they must have already been fighting. Both crows screeched just like Olive had and rushed their group. "Tropius, Gust!" Claire ordered. "Vaporeon, Ampharos, out of the way!" Tyler and Miranda dove aside as Alan turned the hall into a wind tunnel. The injured honchkrow lost control and tumbled to the floor; the other one angrily fired a dark pulse back at them. There was no time to do anything but brace for impact.

Tyler clenched his teeth as the honchkrow's fury hit him. There was a whirlwind of anger and pain, and…loss…and confusion, but the vaporeon held his ground and shook the pulse off. _I'm getting too used to that attack_. Not everyone had taken it as well; Alan's wind had subsided, and the attacking pokémon were advancing again. Tyler wondered briefly if the emotions running through the honchkrow's pulse were what Chloe had been sensing the whole time—but there was no time to reflect. It was still coming. The second one had picked itself up and was flying at them too.

The honchkrow used another pulse; Tyler countered this one with an aurora beam, light against the dark. Claire called for an attack Tyler didn't recognize, and Miranda hit the uninjured honchkrow with a pulsating green ray. It screeched again and collapsed to the floor. The other one zeroed in on the ampharos, letting loose another black wave at point blank. Everything went dim for a moment as the pulse darkened Miranda's tail light. "Ampharos, discharge!" Claire shouted, but Miranda didn't respond. The honchkrow released another pulse, still tearing at Miranda with its beak. "Tropius, Vaporeon, get it off her, now!"

The two of them ran for the struggling pair of pokémon, but this one didn't go down as easily as Olive had. It hung onto Miranda with its claws, hissing and screeching as they battered at it. "Back up!" Alan ordered, a single crescent-shaped razor leaf growing out from one of his back wings. Tyler leaped back and the tropius swung the leaf, carefully avoiding Miranda, who was still struggling with her eyes tightly shut. The honchkrow screeched in pain and struck at the leaf with a quick peck, snapping it off of Alan's wing. Its body darkened again. _We can't let it keep using those pulses,_ Tyler thought desperately. He decided to use an ice beam; Claire called for the attack at the same time. He hurried the attack, managing to get a sloppy beam off before the honchkrow finished its pulse. It let the power go when Tyler's attack hit and the vaporeon had to back off and shake off the pulse yet again. He was breathing hard now.

"Tyler!" Chloe called. "Are you all right?"

"I'm not out yet," he managed through gritted teeth.

The hall lit up in flames as the typhlosion barreled toward them again on all four paws, having apparently defeated the scizor. Claire frantically ordered him to intercept it, and Tyler turned back to Chloe. "Help Alan!" He charged the typhlosion, wishing he had more water out already. It would have been good to meet it with a waterfall attack. Since he couldn't do that, Tyler pulled up short before it reached him and pounded the typhlosion with a Hydro Pump. The fire pokémon didn't even try to dodge; as the water hit it in the chest the typhlosion slid back and lost its balance, snarling when its blazing mane hit the water in a burst of steam. Tyler took a second to catch his breath. The typhlosion didn't, scrambling up and charging him immediately. Tyler used a quick Water Gun and whirled to the side, swinging his tail at the typhlosion in a heavy blow. The hit slowed the typhlosion down, but it turned and hurled itself on him, slashing with its claws. _It's not trying to defend at all,_ Tyler thought as he liquefied. _It's just attacking._ How long could the typhlosion keep this up? It had cuts and slashes all over from the scizor, and Tyler and Miranda had both hit it with their attacks before now. _It should be over by now. Why won't these…ferals go down normally?_ the vaporeon wondered, a chill running down his spine. The typhlosion paused in its relentless attack, flaring up and bathing the still-liquid vaporeon in flames. Tyler grimaced with liquid teeth as his body started steaming.

 _How long can_ _ **I**_ _keep this up?_ That was something else to worry about. The massive battle with the Rockets had been nothing compared to this. Whatever was affecting all these pokémon had already taken Leo and Olive out of the fight and hurt Claire, and the rest of them weren't unscathed either. Tyler melted into a puddle, hoping the typhlosion would lose track of him. Sure enough, it looked around for a moment when the flames subsided before running at the rest of the group.

 _I can't let it get to them_. Tyler reformed, wincing at how hot he felt. He reached out to all the water around him and pulled it close, then used a quick aurora beam to get the typhlosion's attention. It turned back from the others, hesitating between them for a moment. "Come on!" Tyler challenged, "Over here!" The feral typhlosion's only response was a roar.

Tyler flared his fins and his frill, goading the wavering typhlosion. He had to keep its attention. It hesitated another moment, then turned the rest of the way around to face him. Relieved, the vaporeon let his head drop for a moment, panting. He still felt like his body was sizzling from its last attack, and it was exhausting. He glanced up again. _Maybe I have a moment…_ Tyler focused on ice energy, letting it flow through himself to cool off. His next breath was a relieved sigh. _That's a_ _ **lot**_ _better_. He could hear the typhlosion charging at him again; the fire pokémon was making no effort at subtlety. _Come on…come on…_ _ **Now!**_ Tyler hurled himself into a waterfall attack, intercepting the typhlosion midstride.

They rolled over together a few times from the impact; even then the typhlosion kept trying to swipe at him. As they split apart it inhaled a huge breath, preparing to breathe fire. Tyler whirled into an aqua tail. At least he was used to fighting on his own; whatever was going on behind them was keeping Claire too busy to offer any kind of strategy. Propelled by fury, the feral kept up an onslaught of slashes and bites, occasionally pausing to breathe more flames. Tyler couldn't counter all of the quick strikes, so he backed off, managing to repel most of the assault with quick bursts of water. _It can't keep this up forever_. The feral didn't seem to have any concept of strategy; Tyler could conserve his strength and wait it out.

After an incredibly long minute, the typhlosion finally started to flag, panting small flames at each breath. Tyler went on the offensive, hoping to end the fight quickly. He pushed it off balance with a quick waterfall attack, following it up by sweeping an aqua tail vertically into a rising wave that knocked its head back. It came down on all four paws, bracing itself; Tyler threw more force into his spin, whipping his tail around a second time to slap the feral's head hard against the wall.

The typhlosion finally went down. It glared up at him from where it lay against the wall, still letting out ragged growls as it gasped for breath. Tyler stopped for a few moments himself, grateful for the opportunity to catch his breath. He reached out and pulled the water back to him, soaking it in as he turned back to the rest of his team.

It didn't look good. Alan was nursing two wings and Miranda's fur was a mess. As he got closer, the vaporeon pricked his fins in surprise. _Sasha_ was licking scratches as well. _She joined the fight?_ He noticed there was only one honchkrow, laying on the floor like the typhlosion he'd just finished with. Where had the other one gone?

"Hey, Vaporeon," Claire greeted. "I hope you're still in fighting shape." She insisted on checking him over; Tyler took the opportunity to ask what had happened.

Miranda shifted position; Tyler thought he could make out a suppressed groan. "I let that thing get too close."

"Are you all right? I saw you take three pulses."

"I'm recovering. I'm not out yet." The ampharos shot a searing glare at Claire's bag.

"What about you, Alan?" Tyler asked, turning to the tropius.

He glanced at one of the wings he was keeping outspread. "I don't like fighting things with claws. If pokémon want to come at me head-on or keep their distance, I can handle that, but there's nowhere to go in this hall. I would have been in a lot of trouble if your sisters hadn't come to help."

"Chloe isn't my sister, but…never mind. Can you still fight?"

"Mostly," the tropius answered. "Claire just got done checking us all over." _Right,_ Tyler thought, _trainer medicines_. "It'd go faster if we had sunlight down here," Alan added, wistfully regarding the ceiling.

Tyler nodded quietly. "All right," Claire said, finishing her inspection, "looks like you just need stuff for cuts and burns. I was gonna have you take care of it with Aqua Ring, but I brought enough medicines for the whole team." She shrugged uncomfortably. "And Typhlosion and Mur… _Honchkrow_ aren't in the fight, so…" She sighed. "I've got medicine to spare." She sprayed burn medicine on a few places and used a potion on his cuts.

Nearby, Sasha was working her injured leg. "Those _do_ help."

"You let Claire look at you?" Tyler asked, surprised.

"Yeah." The galeon shot a glance at Alan. "They told me it'd be all right."

Claire stood up. "All right, everyone ready to go?" They nodded. "Ampharos, I'm gonna put you back in your ball for now, okay? I want you to rest up." The trainer frowned. "I have a feeling we're gonna need you again before we get out of here." Miranda sighed and nodded as Claire pulled out her ball.

Once Miranda's ball was back on her belt, Claire stood up and nodded. "All right. Just one more thing to take care of." She walked over to where the scizor lay in a crumpled heap and took another ball out of her bag, pulling it in. "We've got to get these pokémon back to Nurse Joy and see if we can find out what's going on with them. And…" Claire's voice broke for a moment. "And Typhlosion and Murkrow too." She fell silent and moved over to the fallen typhlosion, taking out a ball for it too. It didn't work. "Great," Claire muttered. "Not this one too."

 _I wonder why?_ Tyler thought.

 **Why what?** Chloe broke into his thoughts.

The vaporeon sighed, but answered her question. _Well…the only time a ball doesn't work like that is when the pokémon already has a ball somewhere else. Like me. Except…She caught the honchkrow, didn't she?_

 **One of them** , Chloe reported.

 _So some of them have balls, but other ones don't. It doesn't make any sense_.

Claire backed off from the typhlosion. "I guess we'll have to leave it here. I hope nothing else happens with it." She took a deep breath. "All right, team. Let's go." They moved toward the hallway the two honchkrow had emerged from. Sounds of fighting still echoed from the opening. Claire peeked around the corner, then turned back. "Okay. They're fighting in here too, but it looks like a lot of them are already pretty badly hurt. Let's move fast. Vaporeon, I want you to take point. Anything comes for us, hit it with an ice beam. Tropius can back you up." Her brown eyes reflected concern. "I'm glad we got to see what's down here. We need to figure out what's wrong with all these pokémon." She looked at Tyler. "And we'll find whoever you're looking for, too. Don't worry."

They finally moved into the hall. Nothing was happening in the immediate area; large cells, like the ones Tyler had seen in the other Rocket building, stood open and empty. A few pokémon were scattered around the floor, both in the hall and a few in the cells themselves. Claire didn't stop to put these ones in balls, just skirted around them with worried looks. A few of them made aggressive movements, but they were too weak to do any harm. Tyler led the way as they pressed on toward the sounds of fighting.

As soon as they rounded the next corner, the battle began. A lone weavile broke off from mauling a weakly struggling meganium and rushed their group. Tyler hit it with an ice beam he'd already had half ready, but the weavile shrugged it off and kept coming. The vaporeon vaguely remembered something about weavile being ice pokémon. There wasn't enough time for another attack; Tyler knew how fast weavile were. He turned liquid just as it struck, but held his form together as much as he could, keeping the weavile from tearing through him. It laid about in a fury; Tyler winced a little as trails of dark energy sliced through him, hurting despite his fluid state. _Come on, Alan_ …A few moments later a pair of razor leaves slashed through. One missed entirely, and the other one grazed the weavile, doing little real damage. With two wings out, Alan's razor leaves seemed a lot less accurate—or maybe it was just that there were less of them.

A second pair of leaves slashed through Tyler, and one of them hit the weavile this time. He immediately disengaged from it, reforming in a tumble on the floor. The vaporeon sprang up as the weavile recovered from the attack and kept it down with a Hydro Pump. A nidoqueen came rumbling in, smashing the weavile to one side and continuing at them. Claire called something; Tyler blasted it with another hydro pump attack, noticing as he did a razor leaf sticking out of its armor. _I guess we got its attention_.

Claire called for him to use Aqua Tail, and Tyler knocked it aside, fending the feral nidoqueen off again. Hitting it wasn't going to do much—and Tyler especially didn't want to get into close quarters with a massive poison pokémon. "Chloe!" he called. "We need energy attacks!" He had to break off to use an aurora beam on the nidoqueen. The vaporeon was gratified to see that it was more effective than his water attacks. _I could use an ice beam too, but those take a lot of power. I should probably save my energy_.

Chloe, thankfully, had picked up on what he wanted. A spray of Swift stars shot over his shoulder to strike the nidoqueen a moment after Tyler's beam. The two attacks hitting so close together forced the armored pokémon back. It stomped forward again; Chloe's second wave of stars came even faster than Tyler could get off another aurora beam. _She's getting quick at those,_ Tyler thought with a flicker of pride. Claire had Alan hold back; maybe she thought they had it, or maybe it was because the tropius didn't have any especially useful moves for a situation like this. Alan hated fighting in confined spaces.

Before they finished the fight, a yanmega came buzzing at them. It hit the nidoqueen from behind, emitting small, pulsating shockwaves of green energy. The two pokémon turned to attack one another, but with the damage that had already been done the nidoqueen went down quickly. The massive infuriated dragonfly came for them without pause; it was all Tyler could do to slow it down a bit with an aurora beam. It landed on him and bit down; Tyler cried out and went liquid again. It was the only real defense he had against something like this. Like the typhlosion had, the feral yanmega left him alone after only a moment—which meant it was going for everyone else. The vaporeon quickly reformed and started streaming water, then had to drop it. The yanmega was menacing Chloe, glancing off her shield. With each impact it got closer, and the dragonfly was striking furiously. Tyler blasted an ice beam at it, narrowly missing Claire. Its buzzing wings took on a menacing pitch that made all of them draw back, and it shot in a straight line at Tyler. He intercepted it with a desperate Aqua Tail just as Claire frantically called for the attack. With no time to think, the vaporeon hit it with a blast of water, holding it as long as he could while the yanmega buzzed angrily on the floor. Chloe used another salvo of Swift stars. After a few moments the yanmega's buzzing slowed down. Tyler saw a series of puncture wounds on its body. _It hit the nidoqueen from behind_ , he realized. _It must be poisoned_. Tyler shivered. That had been close. He was panting from holding the stream of water for so long; he hadn't been able to breathe. And it had used more power than normal. _I need time to recover. A minute at least_.

After a few moments of thankfully not being attacked, the adrenaline started to subside again, and Tyler started noticing the pain where the yanmega had bitten him at the base of his spine. It hurt a lot, and he pulled water over the spot—there was a lot on the ground. It didn't dissolve completely— _there must have been something in that bite_. The vaporeon gingerly picked his way back over to Claire, who attempted unsuccessfully to capture the yanmega. She looked at Tyler's bite and winced. "Sorry Vaporeon, that looks bad."

Tyler and Alan kept an eye down the hall while Claire hurriedly applied a potion to the wound. With a moment to look around, Tyler noticed there were a few more lights here, and the gratings of cell doors continued at regular intervals down the right wall. The hall ahead was full of struggling pokémon, but for the moment none were close. _They mostly seem to be attacking whatever's nearest them_. "All right, that'll have to do for now. Come on, everyone, let's keep moving. Vaporeon, I still want you on point, but don't push yourself too hard. I can send Ampharos back out if we need her."

Tyler thought it might be a better idea to hang back. All of the pokémon seemed busy fighting one another already. "Wait!" Sasha called. "I…" The galeon gave an audible sniff. "I can smell eons."

 _Eons?_ _All right, we've got to find them_. Another thought occurred to Tyler. "No one…hears anything, right? Like Olive and Leo did?"

Chloe shook her head. "No. Do you?"

"No," Tyler confirmed. I was just thinking…all the pokémon we've seen so far have been these ferals, and if there are eons here…maybe whatever's happening will…affect _us_ , too." The vaporeon didn't want to say it, didn't want to think it, but there it was.

"I'm not hearing anything weird," Sasha said determinedly. "It might be Mother and Father! Come on, let's go!"

"Keep your voice down," Alan warned. "We don't want to get their attention before we start moving, and…" He broke off.

"All right," Claire said in a low voice, "Come on. Not too fast, there's something about the numbers on these cells…"After they'd passed a few more, she nodded and stopped. "All right. They're counting down. This one is number twelve, so one way or another we're almost at the end." She looked around at the pokémon on the floor. "The Rockets must have let all of them out to slow us down, hurt us, maybe even keep us from ever getting out. But they're probably waiting somewhere too, just in case." She looked down the hall again. "This is going to be bad." Claire reached down. Her fingers hesitated on a ball—Leo's—before she plucked another one off her belt and expanded it. She stepped to one side and released Miranda into one of the open cells, still looking down the hall for a moment. "All right. Ampharos, here's the plan. Everyone gather round." Tyler and Alan moved in; Sasha and Chloe took a few hesitant steps, moving nervously with the group. _They still don't know what she said_ …

"We've got to make it to the end of this hall. It's full of ferals, so we're going to hit hard and fast. They seem to mostly be sticking to physical attacks, so things will go better if we keep them at a distance. Tropius, you'll start with razor leaves, then Vaporeon and Ampharos, you move in. Knock out anything that gets in your way, because we're not stopping. Don't worry about saving energy—I've got something special. There never seemed to be a good time to use it, but I think this might be it. So just make sure whatever you hit goes down." Claire looked around at them. "I'm counting on you three. Are you ready to do this?" Vaporeon, tropius and ampharos met each other's gaze before giving her determined nods. Claire returned the nod, a resolute smile spreading across her face. "All right. Let's finish this. Tropius?"

"Okay." Alan lumbered back out into the hall, sharp green crescents curling from his wings. He hurled them from his two good wings first, then a moment later the other two followed, less steadily. "Go!" he called.

Tyler and Miranda surged forward. Running on four paws, Tyler was faster, so he curved out around Alan's body, brushing the wall as he came out of the turn. The ampharos took the shorter path and they charged together at the feral pokémon. Tyler sent a torrent gushing at them, not worrying about accuracy. There would be time for that later. Miranda followed the attack by lighting up the corridor with a thunderbolt. It arced through the fighting pokémon and burst a light in a shower of sparks. Once the electricity was clear, the vaporeon surged forward again, blasting a nidoking in front with a full-power ice beam. Miranda fired the same green beam from before and it went down.

Several ferals charged them; Tyler skidded to a halt, snapping quick aurora beams into their faces before unleashing a Hydro Pump at close range. Old reflexes coming back, Tyler shoved all the water away from himself, leaving Miranda open to fry them with a devastating electrical surge. The vaporeon and ampharos battered their way down the hall, taking out one pokemon after another. They didn't spend more than a few seconds on any opponent, and the snarling faces blurred together in Tyler's mind. In some ways, it barely felt like they were fighting actual pokémon.

Trusting his trainer, Tyler kept attacking at full power. The ferals had already been attacking each other for a while, so it was taking less and less to knock them out now. Tyler and Miranda blazed a path past one cell, then another and another…

One cell was still full of pokémon. Tyler skidded to a halt, noticing the door wasn't closed completely. What was this? A pidgeot flapped screeching at them, but before Tyler could pull his attention back Miranda shocked it out of the air. _That's the last of them…except for these_. All the other pokémon in the hall were already down. He turned back to the cell, deciding how to attack. A Hydro Pump would go through the bars…but if he used Waterfall and liquefied, he could be on the other side himself, in the middle of them before they could respond. _Too risky_. The vaporeon opened his mouth, water energy surging in his chest…

"Wait!" Tyler started at the voice, almost choking on his attack. None of the ferals had spoken so much as a single word. _Who said that?_ It had come from inside the cell. "Don't attack us!" As they hesitated, the pokémon went on, though it was impossible to see who it was through the grate and the dim lighting. "You're like us—it's not working, right? You're not fighting the way they are."

"What are you talking about?" the vaporeon asked, bewildered.

A collective sigh of relief came from the pokémon inside. "You know," the speaker's voice came again, "the experiments. To make pokémon evolve."

Miranda moved closer, shining her tail light through the grate. "We just came here with our trainer. We're here to stop the Rockets."

"And get the pokémon out," Tyler added, with a guilty glance at the ferals they'd left strewn down the hall. "We didn't expect to get attacked like this."

"It's the experiments," the pokémon said. "Whatever it is they do, pokémon say they hear a noise, and then they evolve. It drives them crazy. We're the ones it still doesn't affect—they did it to everyone and opened all the cells. We don't know why, we all hid in here, they don't notice much while the sound's going."

Tyler huffed out a breath. "We've noticed." He peered harder into the cell. "Come on, we're getting you out."

"How?" the pokémon questioned. "We're underground here. There's no getting past the Rockets."

Miranda made a derisive noise. "We already beat _them_. They just let the ferals out to slow us down afterward."

Chloe's voice came into his head. **I don't** …then she stopped. "I don't think it's right," the espeon said aloud as they caught up, "calling them ferals." She looked scared, but she pressed on. "They're not just animals. They're pokémon, like us—pokemon the Rockets hurt. Whatever they did, something's really wrong with them." Chloe looked down. "Is…is this how you think of all the wild pokémon you fight?"

"Hey. I was wild once too, you know. We all were. Even Leo. You don't understand why I fight." The ampharos cocked her head. "Say you're in the wild and a scyther attacks you—what happens if you lose?" She fixed Chloe with a stare. "Because I almost got killed." Looking around, Miranda added, "We're just leaving them unconscious. That's better than they'd do to us. It's a _courtesy_."

The espeon held her ground. "Believe it or not, I _do_ know what that's like. A tyranitar killed my mother and my sister. It would've gotten me too, but Tyler showed up just in time. And it all happened after a Catcher took my father, so don't tell me _you_ make things better."

"We're down here helping you, aren't we?"

Tyler stepped between the two bristling females. "We can worry about this later," he said, looking from one to the other. "I understand how you feel, Chloe, but Claire and Miranda _are_ friends. Miranda's right. We all have our own reasons for fighting. Hers are different from mine, but we've made it this far and we _have_ to find my parents in here." He approached the cell curiously. "My name's Tyler. My parents are a flareon and a leafeon. Are they in here?"

"No," one of the pokémon said, "but I think I've seen them down here before."

"Well, we're here to get you out."

"Who's she?" another pokémon asked as Claire walked up.

"She's… _was_ …my trainer. We fought the Rockets on our way in, they shouldn't be a problem."

Claire stepped up to the cell. "Ampharos, can I get a light?" Miranda nodded and moved to the grating, brightening her tail enough so they could see inside. Tyler could make out a croconaw, a pidgeotto, a flaaffy, and several other pokémon by the back wall. From what he could tell, they were relatively unscathed compared with the feral pokémon outside, though there were a few cuts and bruises. "Hmmm…" Claire said. "It doesn't look like these ones are affected." She pulled the door open. "Come on," she called in a gentle voice. "It's okay, we won't hurt you. We're here to help."

One by one, the cell's occupants detached themselves from the wall and came, a little timidly, toward the open door. "Oh, you poor things," Claire said. "How long have you been in here?" _Too long_ , Tyler thought. "Come on, let's move. I've seen enough, and I'm not letting Team Rocket keep you here anymore. I guess they really _don't_ change, no matter what they're telling everyone. Vaporeon, Ampharos, let's keep moving." The two pokémon took up their forward positions, though there didn't seem to be anyone left to fight. A few ferals lay on the floor just beyond, but after that the hallway was clear. "You two all right?" Claire asked. "I know I told you don't hold back—do you have enough energy left?"

Tyler and Miranda looked at each other. He'd used a lot of power, but not all of it. He nodded, and after another glance at him Miranda did too. "All right," Claire responded. "Just be careful. There're a few more cells left." They nodded and moved forward. Tyler heard the sound of something stirring slightly two cells ahead. _Please be Mother and Father_. The vaporeon didn't know what he'd do if they came all this way only to not find his parents. _No. The pokémon we just found said they were here. They have to be_. They moved forward, trying to see into the darkened cell without taking their eyes off the two ferals who lay outside. They were down, but there was no sense taking chances.

A thunderous roar ripped through the hall, right next to them. Far too close. Tyler braced and instinctively melted, collapsing into a puddle in the desperate hope of getting out of the way of whatever it was. Everything turned an angry, incandescent red as some force picked him up and slammed him against the left wall. The power in whatever the attack was hurt even through his water form. Still fully liquid, Tyler slid to the floor again and flowed desperately backward. He still had no idea what had just happened, but it was bad.

After a few moments with nothing happening to him, Tyler reformed. He was hurt; his right flank, hind leg, and tailfin refused to solidify all the way. His heart was pounding so hard he could almost hear it, and the vaporeon found himself gasping for breath. _That had to be…a hyper beam, or dragon pulse or something_ , he thought, mind whirling. _Nothing else does this to me_. Whatever the attack had been, it was pure power. Limping, the vaporeon backed further away as best he could.

After a few moments, he realized someone was shouting. "Ampharos! Vaporeon! – _Ampharos!_ " Tyler looked around and realized with a shock that Miranda lay collapsed against the wall with one of the ferals. "No!" Claire shouted. After a moment she disappeared back into the ball. "Vaporeon—are you all right?"

Tyler wasn't. He limped slowly over to Claire, who looked him over critically. "This is bad. This is _really_ bad. Damn you, Team Rocket." She looked ahead. " _What_ do they have locked up there?" The girl turned her attention back to Tyler. "You rest, Vaporeon. We're not going anywhere until I can figure out what to do." She sat down against the wall, legs pulled up to her chest, and pulled her tablet and phone out of her bag, turning her full attention to them as the screens lit up. "All right. Whatever it is has been getting stronger the further this way we come—it's got to be close."

Chloe and Sasha rushed to Tyler, looking down at him. "You're okay. Right, Tyler?" Sasha asked, fear stamped across her gray-furred face. "You've gotta be okay."

Chloe looked on the edge of panic. **Stay with us, Tyler.**

The vaporeon shook his head weakly. "That was bad. If I hadn't been water when that attack hit, it probably would have taken me out too. I don't think I can do much now—I'm in no shape to fight." The blast had taken a lot out of him.

"He'll make it, though," Alan assured them, walking over. "He's recovered from worse than this."

"Really?" Sasha asked.

Tyler had to agree. "There was that one time against Diane. She got me point-blank with a solar beam, it was about this bad." He turned to the two eons. "Alan's right, Claire can take care of us. I just don't think I'll be much help now." He looked up at the tropius. "Which means it's just you now."

"And us," Sasha added earnestly. "We'll help. Or at least," she added, darting a glance at Chloe, "I will."

"I'll help too," the espeon promised. "Whatever I can do."

The croconaw from the cell approached. "How are we going to get past that thing?"

Alan shook his head. "I don't know. We'll have to see what Claire comes up with." He cocked his head thoughtfully. "Do you know what it is?"

"It's a gyarados," the pidgeotto offered. "They only evolved it a little while ago…but usually they keep it in a ball, not in a cell like us. It's supposedly too strong."

"A gyarados? Great," Alan said. "I can't fight something like that in here." He fanned his wings out a little stiffly. "Maybe I could curve a few razor leaves into the cell, but I don't know how much good it would do. Might just make it madder."

They waited, turning expectantly toward the trainer. "Hang on a minute," she said, noticing their eyes on her. "I think I've got something. Maybe." She looked over a few more things, fingers flicking across her tablet screen. "Okay. That's probably the best shot we have." The trainer turned to them. "As far as I can tell, something…some kind of signal is driving these pokémon berserk." She turned the tablet toward them. It had a picture of some kind, full of blocky shapes. Claire pointed at one spot. "This is where we had the fight. This," she added, indicating another spot, "is where Typhlosion and Murkrow…" the trainer paused, then shook her head and went on. "Where they first started acting weird. And this"—she indicated a third point—"is where Murkrow evolved. We didn't get attacked until there. I'm guessing that means whatever it is is getting stronger. But it didn't seem to affect them when we were on the upper level, so it can't be that big of a range…my best guess is that whatever's causing all this is further down this hall somewhere." She looked them over. "I'm gonna need you to get past that thing, find whatever it is, and break it. Or turn it off. Or whatever."

She was looking at Tyler. _How am I supposed to do that? I can barely walk_. "We're counting on you, Vaporeon," Claire confirmed. "You're faster than Ampharos and Tropius." Noting his questioning look, Claire grabbed her bag. "I told you I'd been saving something for a time like this. Let's hope it works like they say." She rummaged in a deep pocket and came up with…something Tyler didn't recognize. It was shaped vaguely like a medicine spray, though Tyler couldn't see a hole and all the corners were rounded. "It's an ether capsule. For emergencies only." She crouched down and pressed it against his side; Sasha and Chloe backed off warily. "This might hurt," the trainer warned. She pressed a little harder, and it stung him. Tyler winced and curled up a little tighter; it felt like a continuous jolt of electricity searing the spot where it made contact with Tyler's skin. It didn't get any worse after a few moments, so the vaporeon forced himself to relax.

In that moment he noticed something: Energy was coursing into him through the spot the capsule was pressed against. He breathed in, a long gasp as the power filled him. The last time the vaporeon had felt like this, he'd been evolving, and he looked down half expecting to see himself glowing white. He wasn't, but the vaporeon finally managed to fully reform his leg and tail.

The flow stopped, and Claire pulled the capsule away. Tyler got to his paws. "Whew. That's a _lot_ better." He swept his tail back and forth, glad to be at full strength again. The capsule had left a sore spot where Claire had used it, but the pain was minor.

Claire nodded appreciatively. "Looks like that got you feeling better. Are you ready to do this?"

Tyler paused, going over it in his head. _Get past the gyarados. Find…whatever it is. Break it_. He nodded.

"We're coming too," Chloe said. Sasha nodded determinedly.

"How did you know what she said?" Tyler asked, taken aback.

"Get past the gyarados. Find whatever it is. Break it," Chloe repeated.

 _Oh_.

The espeon nodded. "We're coming with you."

Tyler nodded consent. "First we've got to get past that cell. The gyarados will probably attack as soon as it knows we're there, so we need to be quiet. We'll get as close as we can without being seen, then all run across together. We'll have to time it just right."

"You two go first," Sasha said.

"Why?"

"I…trust my wings, more than my paws. I'll fly."

"Are you sure?" Tyler asked.

The galeon nodded. "You go first. I'll get through."

Tyler reluctantly nodded acceptance. "Well…come on, I guess." He moved to hug the right wall and made his way down the passage, stepping as lightly as he could. Chloe followed half a step behind, staying on his left flank. They stopped just short of the cell door, and Tyler hesitated. _Are you ready?_ he asked mentally, not wanting any noise.

 **Ready when you are,** Chloe confirmed.

 _It hasn't noticed us, has it?_

A pause. **I…don't think so. It's not exactly thinking clearly, so it's hard to tell.**

That was the best they were going to get, Tyler thought. _Okay. On my mark._

 **Tyler? Just go. It's easier if I follow your moves.**

 _Okay,_ the vaporeon responded. He almost called a mental "go," then remembered what Claire had just said. Instead, Tyler gathered his courage, preparing to face the gap ahead. Just a few feet. That was all they had to cross. He leaped forward breathless, heart in his throat—the hardest part of this whole thing was trusting that Chloe had _really_ been ready, that she was at his side now. _No time to think about it. Just run. Three—four—five—six—seven—eight—_ Tyler unconsciously counted steps, keeping his eyes ahead by an act of will. Each heartbeat felt like forever. Then he was past. The vaporeon kept running, leaving the cell opening behind. He pulled up short before reaching the next one—who knew what lived inside _it_.

The gyarados's infuriated roar sounded and Tyler flinched, whipping around. Where was Chloe? **Whoa!** Barely half a length away, the espeon leaped back, narrowly avoiding Tyler's tail.

 _Sorry…I was worried that…_ Further conversation was cut off as the gyarados lit the hallway with another bloodred hyper beam, searing the hole in the other wall a little deeper. Tyler instinctively braced himself again. A shadow dropped down in front of the beam, unfurling a pair of wings and streaking toward them. Sasha came flapping to a stop between them; Tyler got a wing in the face as the galeon frantically braked.

For a moment they just stood there, panting. "Sorry Tyler," Sasha apologized. "Not my best landing."

"The important thing is we all made it," Tyler assured her, giving his head a quick shake—she'd folded one of his fins over. They were safe, at least for the moment. He heard Claire calling a relieved "good job" over the gyarados's renewed roars and smiled.

"So what are we looking for?" Chloe asked.

"Okay," Tyler said, filling them in, "Claire thinks the Rockets have some kind of machine around here—that's what's driving pokémon crazy and making them evolve. She says it ought to be close by. So look for anything that doesn't fit. And especially listen for any noises."

"I don't _want_ to hear that," Sasha said with a shudder.

Tyler took a breath. "Not like that." _I hope_. "But almost all machines make some kind of noise, even if it's just a little hum." He looked up. "Even these lights do. Listen for something like that."


	46. Because We're Family, Part 2

_There's an epilogue on its way but it's not necessary to the story, kind of like the "Nineteen Years Later" section at the end of Harry Potter._ _ **Because We're Family**_ _is the final chapter._

 _I started this story two years ago, but the roots go back much further. To all of you who've taken the time to follow Tyler's on his search across the Johto region: thank you._

 _~Polarissb_

* * *

The three eons padded down the corridor in the Rocket facility. Tyler led the way, looking for any sign of the Rockets' machine. If they could shut it off, maybe the ferals could go back to normal. _I just came here for my parents, but I guess we're going to free them all_. Pride mixed with worry; despite the reassurances of the pokémon they'd met, so far Tyler hadn't seen any sign of Mother and Father. _They've got to be here_. That could wait, though. They had a machine to stop.

The hallway was depressingly regular; a bare white wall stretched down the left, only interrupted by protruding square columns that matched the positions of cell doors on the right. Then…

"There's something," Sasha said.

"What?"

"Another shape on the left. Just a little further."

The "shape" turned out to be a solid metal door. Tyler wasn't sure what to make of it. There wasn't a handle or anything on the wall to open it that he could see. He turned to Chloe. "Can you pull this open?"

"I'll try." The espeon's jewel started glowing. After a few moments she gave up and shook her head. "It won't move at all. I tried pushing too."

"Locked," Tyler decided. "This could be it."

"So how do we get in?" Sasha asked.

Tyler eyed the bottom of the door critically. "There's a crack underneath. I can probably flow underneath if I liquefy." He paused. "Chloe, can you sense anything on the other side?"

The espeon immediately shook her head. "No humans or pokémon that I can feel."

Tyler nodded slowly. "All right then." _I'm doing this_. Chloe and Sasha both wished him good luck as he slipped into his water form and flattened to flow under the door.

Even with his vision blurred and rippling, Tyler could tell the other side had blinking lights in several colors. That was a good sign. They came into focus as he reformed. _This looks important. Let's see, how do I break it?_ He'd have to be careful; the memory of how Skylar's collar had shocked him was fresh in the vaporeon's mind.

"Targeting." Tyler whirled. Behind him, magnet tips glowing red and blue—some of the lights he'd seen—a magnemite. Chloe couldn't sense those. No time to do anything.

Tyler had taken worse shocks before. This one still hurt. He staggered to the side. The jagged bolt hit right where Claire had used the ether, and it _stung_. A second magnemite rose up from behind the machinery. "Targeting." Tyler desperately blew out a mist breath. It wasn't much help in the confined space of the equipment room, but it dissipated some of the next two shocks. What reached him seemed drawn to the sore spot; Tyler hunched his shoulders, curling his tailfin protectively over the mark.

For the moment, mist filled the room. He could make the two magnemite out as sets of glowing lights. Hopefully they couldn't see him. _Why use magnemite to guard a room full of electrical stuff?_ They didn't seem affected by the signal—at least they were talking. Tyler had no idea what a berserk magnemite _would_ look like, though. Still, they didn't seem like the best choice. Tyler had heard trainers complaining about magnemite and magneton destroying their phones and things.

The first magnemite drifted through the mist and shocked him again. Of course, the magnet pokémon didn't really seem to _miss_. Maybe that was why. Tyler instinctively turned and slapped it down with his tail. No shock. _Caught it recharging_. He hit the magnemite with a short Hydro Pump burst, getting another, more painful shock for his trouble, but the metal pokemon dropped to the floor again. Tyler noticed a fizzing noise coming from the tips of its magnets. _It's like a mareep. Get it wet and it can't build a charge_.

The other magnemite was taking aim. Tyler launched himself aside, trying—unsuccessfully—to dodge. This time hurt less—he was starting to go numb from the repeated shocks. That was bad too.

He'd had a vague hope in the back of his mind of getting the magnemite to hit their machines, but that didn't seem likely to happen. _Just take them down,_ he thought. Tyler cut loose at the second magnemite, soaking it thoroughly until its levitation gave out too. He pushed the water away from himself took a few moments to shake some of the electric numbness out of his body. Finally, with a satisfied nod, the vaporeon used an ice beam to freeze both magnemite to the ground.

With his opponents out of the way, Tyler turned his attention to the Rockets' machinery. It was some kind of panel with lights and buttons on it, with a part that went up above. It didn't look _too_ strong, fortunately. Unfortunately it had lots of exposed, humming wires, which he was _very_ hesitant to touch. The vaporeon went around to the back and found cables laying across the floor. _Maybe if I pull them out…_ Tyler gingerly took one in his teeth, then bit down. No shock. That was good. He determinedly began to tug at it, trying to rip it out of the machine. His paws slipped a little on the floor, so he moved back to find better footing and pulled harder. The cable refused to break. _This is no good,_ Tyler thought. _I'm not strong enough to just break it_.

Back to water, then. Tyler found an exposed edge and carefully tugged one side of the panel off, stamping on the thin metal to make it stay bent to the floor. The inside was a maze of lights and wires. Still wary of shocking himself, Tyler streamed a large amount of water onto the floor, then used his power to send it surging into the exposed side of the device. He winced for a moment as it burst into a gratifying symphony of pops and fizzling sounds. Nothing reached him, so the vaporeon filled it further, watching as lights died and the noises slowed down.

 _Okay. Now…_ this was the hard part. Keeping the water bottled up in the machine, Tyler carefully built up an ice beam. When it was ready, he turned it on the Rocket device. He couldn't focus it into a tight beam like normal, but he was close enough that most of the energy still hit. The water froze in a series of cracks, bursting the machine at the edges. Another panel popped off, hanging at a crazy angle. Even metal couldn't stand up to freezing water. Moving at a deliberate pace, Tyler walked back around behind the machine. _Let's see if it breaks now_. He focused on the water, making it melt again. The whole thing sagged inward. Standing right behind it, Tyler used a Waterfall attack. It felt strange using it without actually touching water, but the Rocket machine crashed forward, cables snapping tight in the air as the machine balanced on one corner. _Not good enough_. With a determined growl, the vaporeon backed up a few steps before running forward and leaping onto the machine. Cables started snapping, and the whole thing came crashing down. Some of the exposed cables were sparking; Tyler didn't go near them. Avoiding the two magnemite, which had started sparking again inside their icy prisons, he backed off to the door to survey his work. _I think that got it._ Tyler soaked up what water he could and retreated back under the door before the magnemite could get free.

Chloe and Sasha were both waiting for him. "Are you all right? Was that it? Did it work?"

Tyler nodded tiredly. "There was _something_ in there. I don't know if it was the machine we were looking for, but…" he shrugged. "It's broken now."

"How can we tell?" Chloe asked.

"If the pokémon stop attacking us, that would be nice. I think maybe it was, though. The Rockets had two magnemite in there guarding it."

Chloe winced. "Sorry."

Tyler brushed it off. "Don't worry. You couldn't have known. Anyway," he sighed, "I made it."

"All right," Chloe said. "I guess we can wait and find out in a bit. There's something more important to show you."

"What?" Tyler asked, mystified.

"There is?" Sasha echoed his thoughts.

"Just follow me." The espeon had a slight smile on her face. Tyler and Sasha exchanged confused glances, trailing behind her as she headed for one of the cells. Tyler heard a gasp as they approached, though they were still off to one side. He couldn't see what it was. **Wait here,** the espeon instructed, sitting down with an air of anticipation.

The door cracked open a little further; Tyler sat straight up as a flareon poked its head through the opening. "Sasha? Tyler?" it asked hesitantly. "Is that…is it really you?"

The vaporeon's heart stopped for a moment. They'd _found_ him. After all this time, all the towns he'd searched, winning and losing hundreds of battles, gaining and losing a trainer, losing hope and finding it again a dozen times, facing down trainers, gym leaders, wild pokémon, and Rockets… _We've found Father_. It had seemed impossible. It still _felt_ impossible…but there Father was. _It was all worth it. Everything_.

Sasha bounded her paws, running to Father with a long ecstatic shriek. Tyler sat frozen. He'd been searching for so long he'd half expected it to go on forever. Even today, beating back the Rockets at Claire's side, it hadn't sunk in that Father was _here_. Not really. As Sasha wrapped her wings around Father in an embrace, Tyler watched, drinking it in, fixing the images in his mind. Father looked worn. He bore scrapes and scars, places here and there in his fur where it grew ragged, but it was him. The flareon's face was one the vaporeon would never, ever forget.

After a few moments, Father turned to him. "Tyler? Come here, son, let me see you."

The vaporeon burst into tears, heaving rapid breaths as he got up and approached his father, still unable to believe it. "You're here. We found you, Father." Tyler blinked hard, trying to keep his eyes clear.

" _You're_ here. I still can't believe it." Father had tears in his eyes too, so Tyler decided it was all right. "I never thought I'd see any of you again."

"I promised, Father. That I'd find all of you one day. I promised I'd get you back from the Rockets."

The flareon craned his head around for a moment. "Is it just you? Did anyone else escape?"

Tyler looked down. "No, Father. It was just me and Sasha. But we got lost. We only met again a few days ago."

Father looked away. "What about everyone else?"

Tyler brightened. "I found them. Carson and Kara were in another building like this one somewhere else. I helped them break out. They both evolved too."

"Did they?" Father asked, sounding breathless. "What are they now?"

The vaporeon smiled. "Carson's a flareon, like you. Kara evolved into an umbreon. And then Skylar—I don't know if you ever saw him, but he was here. He's a jolteon. He's how we knew you and Mother were here." Tyler looked away. "He had things really bad. He didn't want to come back here. I hope he's all right on his own."

Father nodded sadly. "I did see him here, once. I'm glad you rescued him—even if you hadn't found me. Even if…" He broke off. "Even if Sara's already gone."

 _Sara?_ "Mother?" Tyler asked out loud. "What—what happened? Where is she?"

"Your mother isn't here anymore," Father said heavily. "In a way, I'm glad. They sent her with another human—a normal one, not like these Rockets. That's what they were doing back then, you know," the flareon added, "sending us with whatever human wanted us. No one ever wanted me, so they used me for experiments instead. Sara didn't have to go through that. So…in a way, she escaped too. I hope she's with a human who treats her all right." Father shook his head, wiping away more tears with a paw. "I thought I'd gotten over it, but I've never had to say it out loud." He gave a long sigh, then shook himself. "All right. What's the plan?"

"We're getting the pokémon out of here. All of them." Tyler turned to his father. "Things are probably better for Mother, wherever she is. I actually got captured myself, almost a year ago." Tyler spoke the words to himself as much as Father. "That's my old trainer down the hall. They're not all heartless like I used to think, they just have a hard time understanding pokémon a lot of the time. Claire's one of my best friends. But don't worry about Mother—we'll find her too." Tyler tried to hide his disappointment. "Come on—it's time to get out of here." Father nodded his consent, and the four eons turned back.

"We'll have to be careful," Tyler warned. "There's a gyarados in one of these cells. Where the pokémon and the hole in the wall are. We got past it once, but it'll be mad." They made their way cautiously to the cell.

Chloe sighed. **It's back to normal at least.**

 _Then why are you still using telepathy?_ Tyler wondered.

 **Because it's a gyarados. I don't know if "normal" means it'll leave us alone.**

 _We should at least try_. Tyler called to the cell's occupant. "Can you hear us?"

"Who are you?" a rough voice called back.

"We're pokémon like you. We've been fighting the Rockets and we're trying to get everyone out. Please don't attack us this time?"

"This time?" Now the gyarados sounded confused. Fearsome, but confused.

"Do you not remember?" Chloe asked.

"Can't…remember…much." The gyarados spoke slowly, pausing on each word. "Everything…hurt."

"The Rockets had a machine they were using," Tyler explained.

"THEM!" the massive pokémon roared. " _They're_ the ones. I'll smash them."

"Can you get out?" Tyler asked.

Scraping came from inside the cell. "No. No room."

Tyler thought for a moment. "They used a ball to put you in here, right? So maybe we can get you out that way. Wait here, okay?"

"All right," the massive pokémon rumbled. "Be quick."

"I will," the vaporeon promised. He turned to the other eons. "Come on." They passed the doorway and headed back to Claire. Around them, the pokémon they'd fought were stirring on the ground and groaning. At least that sounded normal. _I think that did it_ , Tyler thought hopefully at Chloe.

The espeon shivered slightly. **Thank the legends. Feeling all their minds messed up like that might give me nightmares.**

 _So they're all back to normal?_ Tyler confirmed.

 **As far as I can tell.** Chloe paused. **This is why I didn't like what that ampharos was saying.**

Tyler felt a little guilty—after all, he'd been right at Miranda's side as they battered their way down the hall. _She did have a point, though. There was no way we were getting here without a fight. And we couldn't have just left them either. I never would've found Father, and the Rockets could have just kept doing what they were doing_.

Tyler turned to Father as they approached Claire and her team. "Father, this is Claire. She's my trainer."

"Are we supposed to go with her now?" The flareon sounded wary.

Tyler shook his head. "She came to help us get out. She's not here to catch pokémon. She wants to stop the Rockets as much as we do." He considered for a moment, visions of attacking them and being pulled into a ball running through his mind again. "Well, not as much as _I_ do. But she is here to stop them."

Claire watched them come, looking at Father in particular. They stopped in front of her. "So, Vaporeon, did you find it?" Tyler nodded proudly. "All right! Now we just have to figure out what to do with all these pokémon." She looked around at the fallen figures. "Are they…you know…back to normal?" The trainer looked around as Tyler, Alan, and the group they'd rescued from the other cell all confirmed that they were. "All right. We're going to get out whatever ones we can in balls. It might take a few trips. For the other ones…we might just have to patch them up as best as we can. Tropius, could you maybe carry one or two?" Alan said he could.

That reminded Tyler. "Over here!" he called, turning back toward the gyarados. It took two tries before Claire got it and followed him. She approached the cell cautiously; Tyler stayed in front just in case. The gyarados's body filled the cell, weaving restlessly back and forth. "You poor thing," Claire gasped. "How could they do something like this?"

"This is Claire," Tyler reassured the gyarados. "She's going to try to get you out of that cell." The gyarados just nodded. _Maybe he's trying not to scare Claire_.

The girl pulled out a regular ball and gently touched it to the gyarados's nose. It vanished, but only for a moment. "Great. Without his ball, how do we…" Claire trailed off. "Wait. There's one more thing we can try." She pulled a gray ball out of her bag. Tyler pricked his fins up as understanding hit him.

"That's a TM," he quickly explained to the gyarados. "Normally they're for teaching moves, but here it might let us get you out without the right ball. Just be careful with it, they break pretty easily and you don't want to get stuck somewhere in here."

"I understand," the massive pokemon replied with a small nod. Claire tried the TM on it, and this time it stayed in.

"It worked!" the girl cried triumphantly. "All right, we can use these to get some more pokémon out. We're definitely going to have to make multiple trips though; I've only got five TMs with me." She headed over to the pokémon the gyarados had taken out, trying regular balls first and then using another pair of TMs when they didn't work. "Two left." She sighed, glancing back down the hall. "This is going to take _forever_." Turning back to Tyler and Alan, Claire added, "Can you two see if there's any pokémon here who might be able to get out themselves with a little treatment?" The two pokémon nodded.

Tyler made his way to a male weavile first. "Are you all right?"

The weavile groaned. His body was covered with scratches and scrapes, and there was a large bruise on his side Tyler thought might have been from his own tail. "It was that thing, wasn't it. They did it again." Tyler just nodded. "Who are you?"

"My name's Tyler. My father was down here too, we came to get everyone out."

The weavile looked up at him. "Really?"

Tyler nodded, feeling a glow of pride mixed with sadness. "It's not right what the Rockets do. I finally got my trainer to help us get in here." The vaporeon remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "The only thing is we need to get everyone out, and since we don't have your real ball we can't just take all the pokémon and go. Can you walk? Maybe if Claire gave you some medicine?"

The weavile shook its head. "I don't like 'medicine.' It always means something bad's coming."

"Not this time," Tyler promised. "This time it means getting out."

The weavile shifted position, considering. "Well…then maybe. I think I could move."

"I'll get Claire over here," Tyler promised. He continued to the other nearby pokémon. A few could almost get up without help, but most of them were too beaten and exhausted, either from fighting Tyler and Miranda or one another. Claire tended to those she could in the hallway before taking the two largest pokémon—the nidoking and a meganium—and putting them in the last two TMs. She had Alan carry another weavile and a yanmega—which seemed surprisingly light for its size "You all right?" he asked them.

"Tired. Hurt. Alive," the yanmega buzzed. "Thank you for taking us away."

With that, Claire and the small troop of injured pokémon made their way back toward the stairs and the exit. They had to reassure the other pokémon that they'd be back for them. On the way, the other honchkrow that had attacked them joined the downed weavile on Alan's back.

As they passed by the typhlosion it looked up, fixing on Tyler. "A vaporeon…I…remember…something about you."

Tyler paused. "Well…I had to fight you. It was that Rocket machine, driving all the pokémon crazy. You're not the only one, Leo got it too—he's a typhlosion on our team."

The typhlosion gave him a sharp look. "Leo was my brother's name. I haven't seen him since he was captured. Do you think I could…meet him?" _Leo's his brother—is this Ryan?_ Tyler wondered, eyes widening. "It's weird, though…" the typhlosion continued. "I used to know a vaporeon too. His name was Tyler."

Everyone went silent for a moment. Chloe spoke first "Wait, Tyler...do you two know each other?" The vaporeon nodded, unable to find words to say.

Ryan's eyes widened. "So you _are_ Tyler? I thought maybe, but you seemed different. The way you talk, you sound like a Catcher's pokémon."

Tyler finally found his voice. "It's been a long time." He looked Ryan up and down. "I did get caught, almost a year ago. Claire let me go again when she realized, so I could find my family."

Ryan nodded from where he lay on the floor. "Looks like you found them."

"Yeah," Tyler replied, glancing at the other three eons. "Most of them." He shook his head. "I never expected to find you in a place like this though." He had to look away for a moment. _The Rockets aren't going to stop._ They'd taken Ryan the same way they'd taken Tyler's family. "How long ago…did they get you?"

Ryan shook his head. "Last fall, before the snow started." _That would have put us…maybe out on the island, with the dragon gym_ , Tyler thought.

Claire joined the conversation. "Vaporeon, what's going on?" All Tyler could do to answer was pick his way over to the trainer and place a paw on Leo's ball. He watched as she sent out the typhlosion, feeling strangely distant as the two brothers were reunited for the first time. He watched Leo embrace Ryan, but all the vaporeon could think about was how the Rockets had taken not just his family, but now his friend too for their experiments.

Chloe came over to him. **What's wrong? You're not very happy for someone who just found their father and their friend again.**

 _Should I be?_ Tyler asked. _I didn't want to meet him here_. _It just made me realize…the Rockets aren't going to stop. I've spent all this time trying to save my family, but while I did that they took Ryan too. Just getting them back isn't enough if the Rockets keep taking everyone. I have to find some way to end it all, or we'll all be in danger forever. I just don't know how_.

The espeon gave him a concerned look. **You aren't going to stop here, are you?**

 _I don't see how I can_. Tyler shook his head and turned away, back to Claire and his friends. Leo was carefully heaving Ryan up, supporting him so they could make their way out together. Ryan looked back at Tyler for a moment, smiled, then turned his head forward again. _I'm glad they finally got to meet though_ , the vaporeon thought to himself.

Claire let Leo and Ryan and some of the others trail behind as they made their way to the stairs and headed back to the surface. She seemed to be in a hurry; Tyler didn't blame her, seeing how many pokémon they'd left on the lower level. It felt good climbing the metal steps, knowing they weren't running from anything this time. The place seemed strangely empty of Rockets now.

Proton was waiting at the exit. The Rocket leader was sitting on one of the crates, tossing a ball up and down. "And where do you think you're going?" the Rocket asked.

"Getting these pokémon out," Claire answered. "You've got a lot of explaining to do."

The man didn't seem perturbed. "Those are our pokémon you're trying to take." Tyler bristled. _They're_ _ **not**_ _yours. You don't get us just because you beat us_.

Proton lazily stood up. "You're not going anywhere unless you get past me."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Claire retorted. "We already beat you once." Tyler stepped closer, growling his agreement.

The Rocket leader put a spin on the ball he was tossing. "Actually, none of my pokémon were in that fight. I'd imagine yours have been through quite a bit now, though. And I've trained mine against every pokémon we keep down there. Since you helpfully fought them all already, I'd say _all_ of you are about at the end of your rope." He nodded to them. "Thank you for taking your time down there, by the way. We had enough time to get everything important out of here. We just need those pokémon now."

"I'm not quite out," Claire replied in a conversational tone. "I've still got Vaporeon here. And he really hates you. What do you think, Vaporeon? Want to teach him a lesson?"

Tyler nodded, shooting the Rocket a glare. "I would _love_ to."

"If it's a fight, we can help," Chloe added.

Tyler glanced back. "I've had enough of these Rockets." He fixed his eyes on the enemy. "He's mine."

The vaporeon padded forward, taking deliberate steps. The raging fury he'd felt the first time he'd run into Rockets with Claire was gone; in its place was an icy determination to put an end to their plans.

As he stepped out into the sunlight, Proton chuckled, glancing upward. The moment Tyler was completely in the open, a cage slammed down around him. The vaporeon snarled. _How_ _ **dare**_ _you_. Tyler melted through the bars to face the Rocket, completely unafraid. Things were different this time. The Rockets weren't in control here.

 _They're just in the way_.

Proton considered the vaporeon for a moment. Tyler spurted water into the Rocket's smirking face; he staggered back, spluttering, and Tyler felt a surge of satisfaction.

Behind him, Claire laughed, somehow managing to make it sound angry. "You should know, Vaporeon's not above attacking your kind…and with everything I've seen today, I've got half a mind to just let him have you."

Tyler had knocked the Rocket boss's hat off. The man glared back at Tyler, finally activating the ball he held and releasing a weezing. "You're going pay for that. Weezing, Sludge Bomb!"

Behind him, Claire made a derisive noise. "Vaporeon— _disappear_." He bared his teeth in a grin. A combo move was something Tyler hadn't had to do in a while. Streaming water, Tyler swept it into an Aqua Tail attack, mostly intercepting the poisonous mass the weezing hurled at him. That was only the first part. With a wall of water as cover, Tyler dissolved and flowed into it, avoiding the murky remnants of the poison attack. He rode the swell as his Aqua Tail fell and splashed toward the floating pokémon. He couldn't see much, but the air darkened. _Poison cloud_ , he thought. _That's probably it_.

 _But I don't have to breathe air_. Directly beneath the weezing, Tyler reformed and surged straight up into a waterfall attack. With his opponent trapped by the column of water, Tyler sent them back into the ground in a crashing deluge. He hit it with his shoulder; the weezing deformed like a deflating ball as it was smashed by a vaporeon above and the ground below. Tyler rolled away, protecting himself from the worst of the hit with a cushion of water, then letting the wave break as he found his paws again.

The faint green mist irritated Tyler's throat a little, but his opponent hadn't had time to make it thick enough to do much. The weezing's two heads started pumping back and forth, alternately inflating and deflating. Tyler took the opportunity to back up, putting a little distance between them as the poison pokémon slowly swelled back into a ball and started to lift off the ground. Tyler waited.

"Ice Beam."

"Weezing, Gyro Ball!" The Rocket leader's order came a moment later. Tyler blasted the weezing as it came spinning at him; it didn't seem to slow down much as his beam struck. Tyler dodged but it whirled around, tracing a circle like a top, and collided with him anyway.

The hit wasn't as bad as he'd worried; it knocked him off his paws and halfway around, but Tyler regained his footing quickly. It came at him a second time, releasing poison mist again as it spun. "Vaporeon!" Claire called. "Hydro Pump!" At this range, there was no way for the weezing to dodge. Tyler blasted it out of its spin with a forceful burst of water, sending the other pokémon away from him. The weezing came to a halt, floating drunkenly in the air as Claire called for him to knock it down with Aqua Tail. _Got you_. Tyler charged forward.

The Rocket called for something Tyler didn't recognize, and the weezing stilled. A strange chill ran down his spine—it wasn't just his imagination, he could actually _feel_ it. _What_ —Claire interrupted his thoughts. "Vaporeon— _STOP!_ " Already on edge, Tyler reflexively broke off his attack, staggering a little as he dropped to all four paws. He angled away, back to a safe distance.

"Destiny Bond." Claire murmured the Rocket's command. "If it goes down…you do too. Can't just attack—have to break the connection first." She was silent for a moment. "Okay, Vaporeon. Aurora Beam. Quick bursts, just keep it off balance. Save your energy, don't hit too hard, just keep it from doing anything else. Oh, and Vaporeon? The moment that move breaks, take it down." Tyler started the attack, filling the air with flaring, multicolored flashes that made it hard for even him to see. The chill persisted. Whatever it was, it had Claire scared, and that was more than enough to worry him.

There was no way, though, that Tyler would stop or give up. Everything had led to this moment, and now the only thing between him—between _Father_ —and freedom was one Rocket. One Rocket who deserved anything Tyler could do for what he'd made Father and Mother—and even worse, Skylar—endure.

The Rocket smirked. "It's no use. Weezing can keep this up for as long as it takes."

"All right," Claire said to Tyler, "Hold on for a moment." Tyler did. The ominous feeling stayed with him. The weezing didn't do anything else, apparently occupied with whatever it had done to Tyler. The trainer let her breath out in a sigh. "I wish you could learn some sleep or confusion moves, something to break its concentration without hurting it. We can't attack unless it stops."

 _Wait. As long as the weezing's focused on this, it can't do anything else. Claire's wrong. I_ _ **can**_ _still attack_. Tyler turned and dashed back at the weezing, ignoring Claire's panicked "Wait! You can't attack!"

Tyler bared his teeth. _Watch me._ He sprayed more water across the ground in front of him to get ready. As he got close, Tyler launched upward into a waterfall attack.

Not at the weezing. Over it.

Before either trainer realized what was happening, Tyler rose above the enemy pokémon on a diagonal column of water, arcing through the air toward the Rocket. It was something he'd never do in a normal battle, but this was different. He hit the ground, water splashing all around him, and as he regained his footing the vaporeon charged the enemy trainer. Proton cursed, stumbling back. "Weezing, get— _aggh!_ " He stopped abruptly as Tyler sprayed him in the face, knocking his hat off a second time.

"Hey!" the weezing rumbled from behind him. He turned his head far enough to see it floating his way at full speed. Turning ahead again, Tyler inhaled. _I can't really keep attacking him, he'll start sending out more pokémon. This'll have to be enough_. The feeling, whatever "connection" it was, faded away, and Tyler sighed in relief. As the weezing got close, Tyler whipped around, bringing a wall of water crashing into it. As it floundered in the sudden attack, the vaporeon lined up and hit it dead-on with a full Hydro Pump. The weezing flew back; when Tyler stopped it just floated listlessly, eyes shut. _Got it_. Tyler turned his back on Proton, trotting back to Claire while the Rocket leader shouted and recalled his weezing.

"Well," Claire commented, "that was certainly creative. Let's not make a habit of attacking trainers, though."

Tyler gave her a quick smile. "I won't." He turned back as Proton sent out a crobat. This was going to be harder than the weezing; crobat were fast. _At least it's not dark this time_. It came tearing straight at him on four wings; Tyler instinctively liquefied to take the hit and it shot right through him. He reformed and tried to snap at the crobat as it flapped free of the water, but he wasn't quick enough and it soared away. Claire skipped back; Tyler had moved too close to her. He took a step away himself, listening for the next order. The crobat was keeping its distance, making itself a hard target; Claire would take a moment to come up with a way to fight it. Until then, he'd keep an eye on his opponent.

"Crobat," Proton called, "Cross Poison! _At her_." The bat pokémon changed direction and came streaking in again. Skylar's words flickered through his mind in an instant: _Then he told me to attack the trainer._

A bolt of fear struck the vaporeon. _It was ready for this_. Tyler threw himself in front of Claire, managing to intercept the hit; he cried out as the crobat slashed him. It came around a second time; Claire quickly called, "Aqua Tail!"

Tyler managed to force it to break off the attack. He wasn't feeling the slash yet; his heart was pounding too hard. Across the concrete, the Rocket laughed. "Two can play at that game."

The fight had just gotten _far_ more dangerous. Tyler glanced worriedly back at his trainer. _I shouldn't have started this, I made Claire a target_. She was rummaging in her bag, darting frequent glances up at the crobat.

 **Should we do something?** Chloe asked in his mind. Tyler shook his head. He didn't have any time to think about it. The crobat swooped in and launched a confusion ball into him; Tyler dug his nails into the ground as everything went into a whirl. He heard a thump, then a distressed shriek. It didn't sound like Claire… _Please have been the crobat_.

"Vaporeon, Acid Armor!" Claire called. Tyler liquefied and the disorientation vanished. Nothing hit him, so he reformed again. The dizziness didn't return, to his relief. Claire was on the ground.

 **I tried to stop it,** Chloe explained rapidly. **After your Catcher hit it.** **I think I knocked her down too—it happened too fast to aim right.**

 _Okay_ , Tyler replied, scanning the area. Where had the crobat gotten to? As long as Claire wasn't hurt…the vaporeon took a step and stumbled. His right foreleg had gone weak. _Poison_.

"Vaporeon! Waterfall up!" He didn't react fast enough; as the water started to surge the crobat hit from behind. Tyler lost control of the attack, falling back down. It did ruin the crobat's recovery, though; it tumbled and desperately flapped into the air towards Claire. _No, you don't…_ Tyler hit it from behind with another burst of water, though he was running low. The crobat picked itself up again, turning to fly an evasive pattern. _Have to use aurora beams_. He actually hit the crobat once, but it didn't do as much as he'd hoped—the enemy pokémon picked up speed and got away. Tyler struggled to his paws—the last attack had been poisoned too.

"Aqua Ring!" Claire was twisting the top off a green antidote spray. As Tyler pulled water around him, she tossed the whole bottle at him. It hit the ground, light brown liquid spilling out. Tyler understood and let the antidote mix into the water so he could soak it in. _That's better_. He wasn't at full strength, but the poison was fading again. With the whole spray in him, he might even be able to take another hit without worrying about it.

He continued soaking in water while he watched for the next attack. It sent a salvo of Swift stars spinning at him. There wasn't any dodging it, so Tyler braced for the hit. It wasn't enough to hurt him much, but the crobat came in again, breaking off halfway. The change of direction caught Tyler off-guard; a vicious burst of wind whipped past him, leaving several gashes in his skin and making the vaporeon cry out again.

Tyler gritted his teeth, covering the slashes with water. The pain was adding up, and the crobat was hard to land a solid hit on—aurora beams hadn't been as effective as he'd hoped, and an ice beam would be tough against such a small, fast-moving target unless it committed to another attack. _It's definitely keeping its distance now_.

"Just keep healing for now, Vaporeon. As long as it stays away you'll be able to outlast it." Claire was obviously thinking along the same lines he was. "If it gets close enough to hit, knock it down with a water blast, then finish it with Ice Beam."

The crobat circled, alternating between Swift barrages and some kind of sound move. Cloaked with water, Tyler stood his ground, dissolving where necessary; the moves crobat was throwing at him now weren't too powerful. "Keep it up," Claire murmured. "It can't do this forever."

Just like that, the pattern changed. The crobat hurled another wave of stars at Tyler and reversed direction, slicing through the air—straight toward Claire again. "Vaporeon!" she cried. Tyler frantically followed, trying to get there first—but then the Swift attack hit, driving him sideways.

 _There's one thing I can do_. Tyler had one move fast enough, wide enough, and painful enough to stop the crobat's attack, but… _No time! Do it!_ Galvanized by fear, he built up the power in a moment…and hesitated for just an instant.

That was all it took. In that moment of hesitation, the crobat had gotten too close for Tyler to attack without hitting his trainer too. Tyler opened his mouth in dismay. He wanted to cry out, but he couldn't, not around the attack he'd built up. Claire screamed as the crobat sliced her forearms, which were held protectively over her face.

Fear mixed with fury in Tyler's heart, and concern for himself evaporated. Tyler turned his attack on the crobat as it arced back up, catching it in a rush of boiling water. It burned his throat just like the first time he'd used it, but Tyler forced the pain down and kept the attack going. The crobat shrieked and fell out of the air in an aimless tumble, trailing white steam. The vaporeon heaved a slow, painful breath as his opponent flapped on the ground, still shrieking in pain. "Don't you," Tyler gasped, steam spilling from his mouth, " _dare_ touch her, _ever…again._ " As the water started to cool, Tyler built up a full-power ice beam and blasted the crobat relentlessly, freezing it solid. It eased his burned throat a little. He watched to be absolutely sure it wasn't getting up before looking back at Proton. Breathing hurt… _but I can still use ice beams_. As Tyler made eye contact with him, the Rocket took an involuntary step back.

The vaporeon turned toward the Rocket leader and advanced, breathing raggedly. Proton backed off further, and as Tyler formed another ice beam he turned and ran, keeping head down. Tyler let loose, hitting the Rocket in the back. Most of the attack was stopped by his pack, but Proton still staggered at the hit. He disappeared into the trees before the vaporeon could attack again. _No point in going after him,_ Tyler thought. _It's over now, and I'm not in any shape to chase him_.

Tyler turned back to Claire, concern taking the place of anger. She was sitting on the ground, leaning against Alan with one leg stretched out and inspecting her arms. "I think these were poisoned too. I don't feel so well." She pulled out another antidote and twisted the top off. The girl drank a little of it, making a face, then poured some more over the slashes and rubbed it in a little. "That'll have to do," she said, leaning back with a sigh. "What about you, Vaporeon? Are you all right?" Claire looked over at him.

Tyler pushed his head into Claire's hand, looking down. "I'm sorry—I let you—get hurt," he said, forcing the words out between painful coughs.

"You actually used Scald, didn't you," Claire murmured. "I'm sorry you had to go that far." She pulled a red bottle out of her bag. "Drink some of this, it might help." Tyler tipped his head back and she poured some of the burn medicine into his mouth. It tasted terrible, but Tyler choked some of it down. It did feel a little better after a minute.

"Huh," Claire remarked. "Proton didn't even stop to recall his crobat. You must've really scared him." The trainer smiled. "Let's not make it a habit, but…good job."

The next few hours were fairly busy. Leo emerged from the building with Ryan, and Claire released the pokémon she'd brought up in TMs. She gave them to Leo and Olive, sending them down for another group while she rested with Alan and Tyler. Chloe and Father decided to go with them. While they waited, Sasha scouted around, returning to report that the Rockets had all deserted the area.

After a while Leo, Olive, Chloe, and Father returned with another group of grateful pokémon. Some of the pokémon started filtering off into the trees, headed away from the town, though others stayed in the clearing outside the Rocket facility. By this time Claire was back up, though Alan stayed close, watching her worriedly. Tyler decided he was ready to go too, though he didn't want to do any more fighting. They got the rest of the pokémon out in a few more trips; with Miranda's help they got the two magnemite out of the equipment room too.

Tyler, Chloe, Father, Sasha, and his old team spent the afternoon exploring the rest of the building with Claire. Some of the places Father knew. "They'd make us run there," he said, pointing out one room. As Claire opened another door, he growled, exhaling a small puff of flame. "That's where they'd do their experiments, with needles and all kinds of things. They're _animals_."

Tyler's anger and shame grew as he learned everything that had gone on in the facility. "I'm sorry," he told Father. "I should have…I don't know. Found you sooner."

"You did more than I ever imagined," Father assured him. "None of us ever expected anyone to come. It's just…this place…"

"You didn't need to come back down here," Tyler told his father sympathetically. "You could've stayed outside."

The flareon shook his head. "I wanted to see this place one more time, now that I'm not a prisoner. If I can go where I want without anyone stopping me or putting me in a ball or…" Father stopped. "If I can do that, I'm free again. This place can't hurt me anymore."

 _Maybe not_ , Tyler thought, _but I still want it gone. I don't want them ever coming back here_.

Chloe looked over at him and paused. "Do you want to talk about it?" Father and Sasha looked on in confusion.

Tyler flicked his tailfin around, considering it for a moment. "Not yet. I'm still thinking."

"All right."

"What is it?" Olive asked, flying closer.

Tyler shook his head. "Leave it. I'll tell you later."

By the time they'd explored the whole facility, seen every room, Tyler had seen enough. "I've decided," he told the others.

"What?" The question came from all directions.

"The Rockets tore our family apart. Not just ours, either. Father, you said they treated you like an animal. They don't care what they do to us, and they never will. I've been thinking about it since…well, since I found out Ryan was here too. He's my oldest friend, I never thought the Rockets would catch him. Anyway, I don't want this to happen again. I don't want the Rockets to keep pushing us around just because we're not on teams with trainers."

Claire led the way to the stairs. They were done here.

"So that's why I decided," Tyler continued. "We have to show them they can't just do whatever they want. And that starts with this place."

Chloe looked at him hesitantly. "What do you want to do?"

Tyler glanced up—at Father, at Leo and Ryan, who'd been inseparable—then looked determinedly forward. "Burn it down. Don't let them use this building again."

"I agree," Father said, looking at his son.

"There's no one left here," the vaporeon added. "No pokémon or humans. Ryan? Leo? Will you help?"

Ryan nodded with Father. Leo followed suit a little more hesitantly. "He's right," Ryan told his brother. "There's nothing good here. Maybe we can teach them not to mess with us." All three of them glanced at Tyler for confirmation. They were at the foot of the stairs.

Tyler took one last look around, taking in the straight halls and cold lights of the Rockets' facility. "Do it."

Claire turned around in shock as the flareon and both typhlosion breathed long plumes of fire down the halls. After a few moments things on the walls started to catch, and the fire took hold. "What are you doing?!" She grabbed at Leo's ball. "Vaporeon, put it out!"

Tyler met her gaze and solemnly shook his head. There was no way they could explain it to the trainer. She watched for a minute as the fire took on a life of its own, then shook her head helplessly and retreated up the stairs. The pokémon followed, knowing they were ascending the metal steps for the last time. Father and Ryan set a few more things on fire on the upper level as they turned toward the exit.

Outside, Tyler moved to where the other pokémon were, turned around, and sat down to watch. He didn't feel like talking. Smoke drifted out the entrance, and after a few minutes Tyler could make out the orange glow of spreading flames. The pokémon kept watching, Claire behind them, as fire slowly consumed the Rocket building. Embers started drifting away on the breeze, and Tyler got up, pacing around the building and putting them out as they landed. They weren't here to destroy the town.

Just this.

Other humans started showing up, people from the town, a few trainers. Some of them sent out water pokémon to fight the fire, but Tyler and the others explained why they'd started it. The trainers looked on in confusion as all of the pokémon refused to extinguish the blaze.

They waited until evening had come and the flames had dropped to guttering embers. Tyler circled it one more time, satisfied. _We've_ _ **won**_ _. And the Rockets will never forget it_.

There was just one thing nagging at his mind. _Mother. She wasn't here_. The vaporeon's heart ached from disappointment. Mother had been the kindest, gentlest pokémon he'd ever known. _I wanted to see her again_.

Claire came and knelt down next to him, a hand on his shoulder. "So what now, Vaporeon? You got the pokémon you were looking for back."

At this, Tyler shook his head and pulled away. After thinking for a moment, he went back to the trees and plucked a single leaf, carrying it back in his mouth. He laid it on the ground in front of the trainer, tears in his eyes.

Claire picked up. "A leaf…a leafeon? You're still missing a leafeon?" Tyler nodded heavily. Claire looked into his eyes, her expression growing more determined. "I told you how my mom left, didn't I? I'd give anything to see her again…I'm guessing that's how you feel about this leafeon." She stood up. "I don't want you to have to live like that. We'll find them, Vaporeon. We'll find your leafeon. I promise."

Tyler stared up at her, hope dawning in his heart. _With Claire's help…_ With her help they could explore the whole region. Look everywhere. He wouldn't have to watch out for humans. They could challenge the Rockets again, wherever they were. He'd been lucky, he knew, to track down Carson and Kara, and even find Skylar and Father at all.

And on top of that…the vaporeon missed his old team. Life with Claire hadn't been bad, and it would be better on the trail of the Rockets. _Leo always wanted to make a difference in the world. Now we can_.

He nodded and went back to the others. "Claire said she'll help find Mother," he announced. "I'm going with her."

His old team got excited; Leo actually cheered out loud. Chloe, on the other hand, stared at him, ears laid back flat and jewel flaring. "You're _leaving?_ "

"I'm not done yet," Tyler answered, looking at the ground. "I _promised_ I'd find my family and get them back. Mother's still out there somewhere. You've _seen_ what the Rockets do to pokémon; there's no way I can just give up looking."

"But…" The espeon stared at the ground, slumping her shoulders and tail. "I can't believe…you'd just leave me."

"No!" Tyler protested. "I don't want that. I was hoping…" He paused, looking for the right words. "The rules let Claire bring six pokémon with her. Even with me we're only five. I was hoping…" He paused again at the words, taking a deep breath. "I was hoping you'd come with me." Tyler rushed on. "We could still be together. You could learn to fight, better than I can ever teach you. Maybe…maybe even see your father again."

Chloe flinched. Tyler moved closer, but she avoided his eyes. After a minute she finally spoke. "Tyler…you know…that would be different. What would we even _do_ if we met my father? Take him away from his Catcher? I know that's not what you were thinking. Your trainer Claire would never do it either."

"At least he'd know you were all right," Tyler offered.

"And that Mother and Trina are gone." She looked at him falteringly. "I think…it would be better…if he just never knew." The espeon broke into tears.

Tyler pressed closer and started licking behind her ears. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I didn't mean it like that. I do want you to come with me, though. I can finally keep my promise."

"Which one?"

"All of them."

The espeon considered this for a minute longer. "Tyler…I'm sorry. I don't think I could live with a Catcher, in a ball. I understand what this means to you, I really do. But I can't come. You should know what Catchers mean for me."

Tyler sighed. "I do. But…" he struggled, at a loss. "What am I supposed to do? This might be the last chance I ever get to find my mother. I don't want to leave her alone, but I don't want to leave you alone either."

Chloe shook her head and turned away, tears flowing across her fur. "I don't know, Tyler. But I can't bear to watch this, _feel_ all this, any more. I'll wait for you." The espeon padded away, forked tail trailing over teardrops in the grass. The espeon left a final mental plea. **Please come back to me**.

Tyler watched her walk away, at a complete loss for what to do. He'd never expected this decision to be so difficult. He looked around helplessly, gaze passing over Father, Miranda, Alan, Sasha, Olive, Leo, Ryan, and the few pokémon who'd remained. He heard a deep intake of breath—"I'll do it."

 _What?_

The voice repeated itself. "I'll do it. I'll go." It was Sasha. Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"You mean you'd come with me?" Tyler asked.

Sasha shook her head, ruffling her wings. "You stay, with Chloe. I can do this."

"But you…"

The galeon cut him off. "Look, you're not the only one who misses Mother, okay?"

"I'll come too," Father added. He turned to Tyler. "You said your Catcher can take six, and if there's any chance of seeing Sara again…" He shook his head. "I'll do anything." The flareon looked at Tyler. "Listen, Tyler, you've done enough for our family. Stay with your mate. You shouldn't give her up. A mother is one thing, a mate…" Father took a long breath, tears building in his eyes. "A mate is something else." He looked Tyler in the eye, making sure the vaporeon understood. "We can handle the rest from here. You've done more than enough."

Tyler made his decision and nodded slowly. "All right. Just…let me say goodbye to her, then." He went back to Claire, letting his tail drag on the ground.

"What's wrong, Vaporeon?" she asked. She had his old blue-patterned ball out.

Tyler sighed and put his paw on the ball, pushing it away. "I'm staying here," he told her, knowing the trainer wouldn't understand but wanting to say it anyway. The vaporeon glanced over his shoulder. "They'll go with you." He pushed his head into her stomach, and the girl folded around him, hands stroking along his back and down his tail.

"I get it. You're not coming back." She sat up and looked at him in the dying light. "I'll miss you, Vaporeon. But it was good to have you back, just for one day. I hope you're happy out here…you went up to the lake, didn't you? Maybe one day I'll see you there again." She ruffled his fins. "Good luck, Vaporeon."

Tyler nodded and turned away, looking back as he retreated a few steps. Father and Sasha approached in his place. "What's this?" Claire asked. "Are you…" Understanding dawned in her face. "So you two want to come?" Father nodded; Sasha glanced at him and followed suit. Claire nodded slowly and reached for her bag, pulling out a pair of balls and expanding them. Sasha swallowed, but stood bravely as Claire touched the ball to her. The galeon vanished in a white flash.

Father turned back to Tyler. "Good luck. Remember what I said."

"You too," Tyler managed. "I will."

The ball didn't work on Father; Claire didn't look entirely surprised. "We'll have to see if we can get you unregistered, Flareon. I guess you'll have to walk for now." Tyler watched as she called the rest of her team back to her. He had a final goodbye with them.

"Good luck, Miranda. It was good fighting with you again."

"You too," the ampharos replied.

Tyler nodded. "It was good seeing you too, Olive."

The honchkrow chuckled. "Yeah. Though this was _not_ how I expected to evolve."

Leo was crying. "I'll miss you both so much."

"You could stay," Ryan said hopefully.

Leo shook his head. "Claire and I are close. I'm staying with her." He paused. "I'm glad I got to meet my brother again, though."

"Claire said she might come back sometime," Tyler put in. "Maybe you'll meet again."

Ryan wiped his eyes with a paw. "I'd like that."

Tyler turned to Alan last. "Keep an eye on Sasha for me, will you? She doesn't have much fighting experience."

The tropius nodded. "I will. I'll probably get to teach her wind attacks too." Tyler knew the two would be good friends.

"All right," Tyler said. "I guess this is goodbye, then." They all embraced for a moment, forming a large bunch. Then they stepped away as Claire recalled them one by one, waved to Tyler one last time, and turned toward the pokécenter.

"So now what do we do?" Ryan asked.

"We should get out of here. You're free," the vaporeon replied. "You should find somewhere to live."

"Where are you living?"

"There's a lake up north, with trees around it," Tyler replied. "But if you don't go all the way, there's grassland around here, how you like."

"I could do that," Ryan replied. Tyler turned away. "Where are you going?"

The vaporeon looked back over his shoulder. "I have to find my mate." He didn't offer any other explanation, and Ryan let him go.

It took a while before he found her jewel glowing in the darkness. "So?" the espeon asked hesitantly.

"It's done, Chloe," the vaporeon replied. "Let's go home."

 **The End**


	47. Epilogue: Minds of Their Own

**Red, Claire, Lance-The Aftermath**

 _March 31_

 _Yesterday was one of the longest days of my life. Where to begin?_

 _Well, for starters, a news crew caught me leaving town. I've never been on TV before, and I think it showed. Hopefully none of it gets me in trouble._

 _Seeing Vaporeon again…well, it didn't go how I planned at all. Privately (this doesn't leave my diary) I'm proud of him, even if he did get Typhlosion to burn down a building. He's definitely got his fire back, no pun intended. I was disappointed when he decided not to come back with me, but I can understand. It seems like he found a special someone._

 _In exchange, I ended up with **two** new pokémon, which is the last thing I was expecting. The flareon from inside the facility's with me now, and so is this galeon. I'm excited to work with her; every trainer's dream is to train a pokémon no one's ever seen before. She's definitely some kind of eevee, though how you evolve one to a flying type I have no idea. Maybe it was something from another region and she migrated here…although she seems to know Vaporeon too, so who knows._

 _Anyway, now I have six pokémon and my team is still half flying types. On top of that, I traded a water type for a second fire type. At this point I might as well take all the advice about team balance and throw it out the window. My strategies will definitely have to change. Now that she's evolved, Honchkrow can't really play the speed game like she used to. This galeon might, though—she seems quick._

 _Flareon already mostly understands English, I'm guessing from the time he spent with Team Rocket. He's kind of an unknown quality, but he seems older, more mature, kind of like Tropius. He also has a lot of weird scars, so it's probably safe to say Team Rocket's been experimenting on him, too. How I don't know, but it's something I have to take into account. Nurse Joy didn't find anything obvious during her examination, but I don't know how thorough she was. Flareon hated it—we couldn't even get him to go inside the examination room, so she had to do it in the lobby._

 _I guess I'm looking for a leafeon now. I've only seen one since I became a trainer, so this is either going to be very easy or very hard. Maybe if I find it (is it a him or a her? I don't even know) and bring it back to Vaporeon, he'll finally come back…but this is Vaporeon we're talking about, I shouldn't get my hopes up. At least he seems happy now._

 _Of course, most of yesterday was spent either fighting Team Rocket or going through their stuff. Fighting was definitely the worst part. The first battle was okay, but the whole thing with the feral pokémon was really bad, and Proton actually had his crobat attack **me**. I mean, Vaporeon sort of started that, but I didn't order him to. And he didn't use any serious attacks, just soaked Proton a little. **I** got poisoned. Fortunately any good trainer keeps antidotes on hand, so I'm all right (although Nurse Joy insisted on looking me over too. I swear, the nurses should get paid more). He ran off with all his underlings. We'll probably find out where soon. I don't think this set their plans back too much, though. It sounds like they already got what they needed from their experiments here. Still (again, only admitting this here) I'm kind of glad their building burned down. They deserve it._

 _All right, I should get back to that report to Lance. I feel so official. And hopefully I won't get in massive trouble with the League for all of this._

* * *

 _Claire's Report_

To: Lance

Here's my first report-I hope I'm doing it right. Anyway, I've got news, and you're not going to like it.

I tried to keep it off the news (didn't do a very good job), but I was the one who went inside the Team Rocket facility in Ecruteak. I didn't start the fire, though, I promise. We more or less kicked the door down, but I had a reason to—they had a lot of pokemon locked up, and their leader Proton had a jolteon he was using some sort of shock collar on. Here's what I found.

They're up to the same tricks as a few years ago, but this time seems scarier. They've been experimenting with evolution—forcing pokémon to evolve with some kind of signal. The signal drives them berserk too, even when they're already evolved-it affected my murkrow (she's a honchkrow now) and my typhlosion. We had to fight our way through a bunch of feral pokémon they'd locked up down there too—it was awful.

There is some good news about it though. It seems like it only works for specific evolutionary lines. Apart from typhlosion and honchkrow, we ran across feral yanmega, scizor, weavile, nidoking, crobat, pidgeot, fearow, meganium, and worst of all a gyarados. It didn't affect any pokémon from the eevee line, totodile line, mareep line, tropius or magnemite line, at least not here. The signal also seems to be an active one, so if you can turn it off the pokémon go back to normal (except they stay evolved).

I'm sending some pictures of the device they used, but I don't know how much use they'll be—Vaporeon really did a number on it (yes, I know I didn't have a vaporeon when I faced you. I used to, but let him go before then and he found his way here on his own. It's a long story). Vaporeon came close to putting Proton in the hospital…he gets aggressive around Team Rocket, but it was his fight. We let him go, though. Anyway, I hope the pictures help. I don't think we've seen the last of this—from what Proton was saying, I think it was just a prototype they were working on here. It sounded like they're planning something big. If I learn anything else I'll inform you.

* * *

 _Red_

Red adjusted his cap, pushing his hair aside and resettling the cap further back so it was easier to see the television mounted high on the pokécenter wall. "And tonight," the news anchor said, "We've got an interesting new angle on the Team Rocket poaching controversy, as a building in Ecruteak was burned down—apparently by wild pokémon. Witnesses reported seeing nonnative pokémon fleeing the area shortly before and after the fire started. Our news crews on the scene also got an interview with Claire, one of the new Masters, but she denies any part in the arson."

The screen cut to footage of a brown-haired girl in her late teens, standing on a stone street. "I didn't start the fire," she said, wide-eyed. "I came here looking for my old vaporeon. He's been after Team Rocket for…" She looked away from the camera for a moment. "For some reason."

 _Interesting_ , Red thought. _I think she knows more about it than she's saying_.

"All I know is Vaporeon refused to put the fire out, and so did all the other pokémon. It wasn't just me—you can ask the other trainers who saw it and tried to help."

"Was this an attack on Team Rocket?" the woman behind the camera asked.

The girl hesitated. "I…I probably shouldn't say. I'm reporting to the Johto League and we don't have all the details yet either. All I can say is Vaporeon…well, yeah."

"You said your vaporeon has some kind of…personal grudge against Team Rocket, isn't that right?" the reporter pressed.

"Well…yeah. He does. My guess is some of his family…well, I don't really know, but there was a flareon in there he was really happy to find."

"In the building?"

Claire blushed. "Listen, I don't really think I should be discussing this yet. Like I said, the League will be looking into everything. I should get going."

The view switched back to the newscaster. "And there you have it, folks. I don't know about you, but it sounds to me like something went down there. Ecruteak has definitely had a Team Rocket presence in the past, and it doesn't seem like much of a stretch to say it was their place that burned down. All I can say is, if wild pokémon really did do this, then you'd better watch out from now on if you want to sell them. For our next segment…"

The next segment was about some surfing contest. Red mentally tuned it out. _So it sounds like Team Rocket's not done yet. Still, seems like the League here is on top of things. I probably don't need to get involved. And if **wild** pokémon are getting involved against Team Rocket? Well, I have to admit I'd like to see that. They sure had it coming_.

* * *

 _Lance_

To: Claire

Claire, good job. We've had our suspicions about Team Rocket, of course, but up till now they've been keeping their heads down. I've heard some rumors lately, however, about an aggressive group of gyarados that have taken over the Lake of Rage. What we've pieced together seems consistent with the device you described in your report. I'm heading there to investigate personally; we'll be in touch.

We also looked into the incident with the facility burning down, and while it is unfortunate, no other damage was done. We've discussed things and from what we know, your actions were acceptable. I will ask you to keep your vaporeon out of sensitive situations like that, though, as this isn't the first time something's happened.

Lance

Elite Four/Champion, Kan-Johto Pokémon League

* * *

 **Tyler and Chloe—Closing the Circle**

"Come on, Father, wake up!" Tyler grunted as a small body covered in fluffy fur cannoned into his stomach. He slitted his eyes open, looking at his daughter, then over at Chloe. The espeon was smiling.

Tyler groaned. "Mara…the sun's barely up. Are you _sure_ you're not an espeon pretending to be an eevee or something?"

"No, Mother said," the eevee assured him brightly, crawling further along his body to snuggle under his frill.

Tyler still hadn't moved. He heard a sudden patter of paws and had to brace himself as Evan and Tria followed their sister's example in launching themselves on him. "Get up, Father! Come _on!_ "

"It's still early," Tyler protested, mock-serious. "Can't I get one minute of peace in the morning?"

"Nope!" Tria announced, drawing a giggle from her sister.

"Well…all right then, you asked for it."

Mara gasped and scrambled off him. "No! Don't!"

Tyler eyed her older siblings, who looked at him with challenging grins, standing on his shoulder and side. He gave them another half second to move, then dissolved his body. Two young eevee splashed into his liquid form and scrambled frantically away. The vaporeon reformed.

" _Faaatherrr!_ " Tria protested loudly. "You got us _all wet_!"

His mate Chloe joined the conversation. "He _did_ warn you," she chided. "Mara got off."

Tyler got to his paws. "Why don't you ever pick on your mother in the mornings?"

Evan wrinkled his nose. "Mother's always already awake. And she doesn't let us. She…" The eevee broke off, shooting a guilty glance at the espeon.

Tyler glanced suspiciously between them. "What is it? Come on, tell me." _That goes for you too, Chloe. I know you had something to do with this_.

"Mother told us to wake you up!" Mara blurted.

"Traitor," Chloe said calmly. She gave Tyler a warm smile, which the vaporeon returned.

"Well, since I'm up now," Tyler sighed, "I _guess_ we can all go eat."

"Dry us off first!" Tria and Evan protested.

"All right, get over here." He siphoned water out of the two eevees' fur while Chloe led Mara outside. The eevee threw her older siblings a triumphant look at being first.

Before the family went to the lake's edge to drink, Tyler slid stealthily into the water and swam out, checking nearby parts of the bank. There probably wouldn't be any trainers here this early in the morning, but it was best to be careful. _I know trainers are all right, but that doesn't mean I want any of my kits captured_.

"All clear?" Chloe confirmed as the vaporeon emerged from the lake again. He nodded. **You know, you seem almost disappointed,** she added telepathically so their kits couldn't hear.

Tyler shrugged. _I have to train too_.

The espeon shook her head. **Just because you can't be captured…**

 _That helps_ , Tyler admitted. _But it's not like any trainer around here has come close anyway_.

 **One day you won't be so lucky.**

Tyler sobered. _If I lose to a trainer, you should probably take the children and run, because they mean business_.

The espeon rubbed against his shoulder. **I know. And I know you have reasons to challenge them. Just be safe.**

Tyler nodded, returning the touch.

"What are you talking about?" Tria inquired indignantly. "You always use telepathy when you don't want us to hear!"

Tyler glanced at his mate. There was no way to explain their concerns, not to three innocent kits.

"Is that human coming back with Aunt Sasha?" Mara guessed.

"Claire," Evan and Tyler corrected at the same time. The girl had visited twice since they'd parted ways at the Rocket hideout. The second time, Sasha had reported that they'd found Mother in the care of an older woman who didn't use her for fighting. It sounded like the leafeon had been helping take care of other pokémon. Father had joined her there, but Tyler's sister had surprisingly chosen to remain with Claire. She and Alan had become fast friends.

"No, nothing like that," Chloe assured them. "We were just making sure there weren't any other trainers around."

"But you don't worry about her," Mara pressed.

"Claire is a special case," Tyler answered. "I know she won't try to capture any of you. She's not a normal trainer anymore—her job is making sure other humans don't make trouble."

"You know, you don't talk about her very much," Evan noted.

Tyler sighed, stretching out in the shade. "That's not my life anymore. You all are. Anyway, weren't you three thirsty?"

The vaporeon smiled as his three children suddenly remembered that they were and piled to the lake edge, almost pushing one another in in their excitement. Chloe walked up to him. "It brings back memories, doesn't it?" he asked her.

The espeon nodded quietly; Tyler knew not all of her memories were good ones. _Mine aren't all good either. But I like to think about the days I spent like this, with my brothers and sisters_.

 **You're right** , Chloe admitted. **I had days like this too. And this is a lot nicer than where I was raised.**

The vaporeon nodded. A little over a year ago, shortly after parting ways with Sasha, Claire, and Father, magikarp in the lake had started evolving in massive numbers, fighting each other and attacking everything in a berserk rage. Tyler and Chloe were pretty sure it had something to do with what they'd seen in the Rocket base; the vaporeon had even seen a few Rockets when he'd investigated, but several other trainers had shown up, and things had gone back to normal a little after that. Tyler and Chloe had checked all around the lake periodically, but they'd never seen any trace of a Rocket since. He'd always worried about a Rocket attack like the one that had taken his family, but he'd gone to check the town too. He couldn't find any sign of the Rockets there; the burned building had been taken down and grass grew over the spot now. They were probably as safe as they were going to get. _Now I understand why Father always patrolled around_. He couldn't bear having anything happen to Tria, Evan, or little Mara—or Chloe.

"You were right," he told her. "This is a good place to live."

The espeon smiled. "I know."

Three eevee came back panting. "We're hungry!" Tria announced, drawing earnest nods from her siblings.

Chloe was already leading the way. "Come on then. We were about to eat too." They headed for the closest bush to their den; as they walked the eevee started asking questions again.

"Are we training again today?" Tria asked.

"We weren't planning on it," Chloe answered.

"Awwww!" Both of the female eevee wailed in unison.

"It doesn't have to be fighting," Mara pressed hopefully.

"Hmmm…" Tyler paused. "How about swimming then?" Their two daughters cheered while Chloe just smiled and shook her head knowingly.

When they got to the bush, Tria and Mara bolted down their berries as fast as they could, making a mess in the process. Tyler noticed that Evan seemed preoccupied.

"You're making a mess of yourselves," Chloe remarked.

"That's okay!" Mara piped up brightly. "We'll wash it off in the lake!" She bounded to her paws, calling to Tria. "Come on, race you!"

Tyler glanced at his mate. "Go on," she said. "We'll be along." **I think Evan wants to talk about something right now**. The vaporeon nodded and took off at a lope, following his daughters to the lake's edge.

The two eevee paused on the shore. "Jump in, Father!" Mara encouraged.

He eyed them. "Are you sure?"

Tria nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

"Okay, get ready!" Tyler broke into a run, leaping over their heads into the water. As he hit, the vaporeon brought his tail slapping down on the surface, making a big splash. He sensed two more splashes as his daughters jumped in behind him. He surfaced and they paddled over, looking much smaller with their fur soaked.

"Up in the air now, Father!"

"You know," Tyler replied, "You're supposed to be learning to swim here."

"We _know_ how to swim!" Mara retorted. "Come on!"

Tyler sighed, shaking his head to hide a smile. "Fine, but don't tell your mother." Both eevee glanced around at that as if expecting a telepathic response—not that it really mattered; Chloe didn't mind. The vaporeon dove to the bottom, then turned upward and sent himself rocketing into the air on a waterfall, sweeping his daughters along with him. They screamed with excitement for a few moments before gravity took over and they splashed down again. After a few seconds they both resurfaced, Mara coughing a little. She shook her head, water flying from the tips of her ears.

" _I_ wanna be a vaporeon," she declared.

Tyler smiled. It wasn't the first time she'd said that; he'd looked around and he was pretty sure there was a water stone somewhere in the lake. Maybe more than one. Just like they'd been raised, though, Tyler and Chloe hadn't really brought up the subject of powers and evolution yet. Their children weren't old enough, although he thought Evan and Tria might be getting close.

Chloe's voice came into his mind. **Evan wants to talk to you.**

The vaporeon looked back towards the shore. _About what?_

 **I'll let him explain.** Chloe seemed troubled.

Tyler nodded to himself and turned toward the shore. "I need to take care of something," he told Mara and Tria. "Stay in the shallows." He dipped underwater and brought himself to shore in a few strokes. Droplets of water soaked into his skin as he stepped out of the lake, leaving him dry in a few moments.

He found Chloe settled down with their son a short distance away, close enough to keep an eye on their daughters in the water. "What is it?"

Evan laid his ears back for a moment before meeting his father's eyes. "I wanted…to ask," he began, looking back at Chloe. She nodded encouragingly. "I want to know…what it's like, living with a trainer."

 _So that's what this is all about_. Tyler almost asked Chloe to explain, but decided he should probably hear Evan out. "What part?"

"Well...what made you want to stay? Mother says you wanted to."

Chloe silently warned him to take the question seriously. "Well," Tyler said, "have you heard the name 'Catcher?'"

"Yeah," the eevee responded. "A lot of the other pokémon around here use it. You and Mother always say 'trainer' though. That's what I was wondering about."

"I called them 'Catchers' when I was growing up too," Tyler began. "We both did. After all, that's what they do, capture pokémon and take them away. That's what happened to my parents and my brothers and sisters, and getting caught was what I was most afraid of." He looked out across the water. "But then one day it happened, and there wasn't anything I could do about it.

"So I had to live with it. I was stuck in a ball with a human I couldn't understand and pokémon who were a lot stronger than I was, and I had to go where she wanted to go and fight other pokémon. I didn't like anything about it at first, but Claire always seemed to care about me. That and she had other pokémon; we made a team and I learned to work with them, and we became good friends.

"But what really stood out to me was one day she let me go. Not the time I left—it was earlier, when I didn't trust her anymore. That was when I realized a human really could care about me, so I decided to stay and give her another chance." The vaporeon nodded. "That was really why. She showed me I was something besides a weapon or a…pet to her. And after a while you get used to life with a trainer. It's nothing like what we have here—you'll be put in a ball and when you get out you're somewhere you've never been to before, and you end up in more battles than you ever would out here in the wild—a few times a day at least, against all kinds of different pokémon. It's all training, though, usually they're not serious. It is more…exciting, I guess. And you get a lot stronger."

Evan sat silent for a few moments. "So why did you leave?"

"I had my family to think of," Tyler admitted. "The first time it was because the Rockets still had my mother and father—and my brother. I had another chance to go back once they were free…but I'd met your mother by then. I couldn't leave her behind."

Chloe gave him a long look. She knew better than anyone how hard it had been for him to make that decision.

"I still miss Claire and Leo and the rest sometimes," Tyler finished. "But I'd never leave any of you for them."

His son looked at him. "What about me?" he asked.

Only half surprised, the vaporeon considered his response. "Would you want to leave?"

Evan looked down. "Well…I get worried sometimes that I'll get caught."

"It's pretty safe here," Tyler assured his son. "And your mother and I are here."

"I know. But when I think about it, I don't know if being caught really scares me. I want to be strong like you, Father. And I think it's different for me. You were always looking for your family, but we're all safe here. I don't have anyone to worry about. I want to know what it's like."

"You've been thinking about this," Tyler said.

Chloe spoke up. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The eevee wrinkled his nose. "Yeah." He looked at Tyler. "Mother said talk to you."

 _What do you think?_ Tyler asked Chloe silently.

 **I don't want him to go. But he's getting older…I think he should get to choose. Maybe you can help him, at least so…I don't know. So it's not just whatever trainer finds him.**

Tyler and Chloe looked back at the eevee. "Well?" he asked, ears pricked expectantly.

"You know we'd worry about you."

 **I would especially,** Chloe put in. **But I'd feel better if I knew it would be a human who could see what I see in you. Someone you can learn to trust.**

"We can't make all your decisions for you," Tyler added. He took a breath. "If this is what you really want…" he paused and met Chloe's gaze; the espeon gave him a hesitant nod. "I'll help you find someone who's like your mother said."

The eevee nodded solemnly. "So…when? I mean, I don't know…if I'm ready." He swallowed.

"Not for a little while," Chloe answered. "You still have to tell your sisters."

Evan laid his ears back; the eevee probably hadn't thought of that. "I know," he sighed. "I'll wait."

"We want to spend a little longer with you too," Tyler said. "You can stay with us as long as you want until you're ready."

 **Remember,** Chloe added telepathically, tears in her eyes, **you'll always… _always_ …be our son**.

* * *

 _Minds of Their Own_

Chris knocked on the door of the wide brick building, his heart in his throat. He'd said his goodbyes to his parents back in Celadon, and an older trainer named Lewis had offered to escort him to New Bark. That had been almost a week ago, and now here he was, knocking on Professor Elm's door to get his first pokémon. He still wasn't sure he was ready to be on his own.

"You won't be alone," Lewis had reassured him. "You'll see. Your pokémon get to be like family. As long as you take care of them, they'll take care of you."

The door creaked open and Chris's breath caught in his throat. "Hello," Professor Elm greeted him. He had short brown hair and glasses, and wore a reassuring smile. "You must be Christopher."

"Uh…yeah," Chris said, unable to think of anything else. "I came…to get a pokémon."

Elm gave him another smile and led him inside. "I know. I have someone special picked out for you."

"Don't I get to pick?"

"Well, yes. But this time is a little different. I've got an eevee here, if you'll take him."

"Really?" Usually trainers were offered a choice of cyndaquil, totodile, or chikorita. Chris had been trying to decide which he'd want for days now.

The professor nodded, explaining as he walked. "It's something of a strange story. I didn't breed this one. A few days ago, I was out getting some things, and when I got back there was a vaporeon waiting on my doorstep with this eevee. There were no trainers around who owned either of them. When I got there, well…it looked like they were saying their goodbyes, and then the vaporeon left the eevee there, and he just came right on in with me. I've never seen anything like it before." He opened the back door and let Chris out into the yard. "So if you want him, I have a feeling he's something special."

Elm led Chris over to one of the pens. "Here he is." A small, brown-furred pokémon came running out of a little house, coming up to the fence.

Chris crouched down and reached through the wire. "Hey there, boy." The eevee sniffed his hand, then paused and looked him up and down. Finally it gave him an unmistakable nod. _"Vee!"_

"Well, look at that," Professor Elm commented, "he likes you. What do you think? Do you want to see the others?"

The boy felt an instant attachment to the small pokémon. "No, I think I'll take this eevee." He didn't care about seeing the other pokémon now. He addressed the eevee. "Is that okay, boy?" The eevee cocked its head for a moment, then nodded again.

"You take good care of him, you hear?" the professor admonished. "Pokémon have minds of their own. You're not just picking him, he's picking you too. You'll have to take care of each other from now on."

Chris smiled, a wave of pride washing over him. "I will," he promised.


End file.
